4 girls with DSWD

FOUR of the 14 females  rescued from two KTV bars in barangay Gairan, Bogo City, north Cebu, were confirmed to be minors.

They were temporarily placed in the custody of the Department of Social Work and Development  until their families can be contacted.

Twelve females are from Cebu province.

One is  from Bogo City, one from Leyte province and one from Davao del Norte.

Police said the three bar managers who were arrested after a two-week surveillance will be charged with human trafficking under Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

Charges will be filed within the week.

Three girls said they were below 18 years old while one was determined through dental ageing.

Police initially said there were seven minors in the raid conducted  Saturday evening with DSWD and the International Justice Mission (IJM).

Crisis Intervention Unit Chief Edna Regudo said the girls were “calm”  and did not resist the  authorities.

Regudo said the  girls underwent diffusing, an  initial psychosocial intervention where social workers let the girls “pour out” their feelings about their traumatic experience./correspondent Jessa Chrisna MArie J. Agua