MANILA, Philippines—The Manila City Regional Trial Court Branch 29 convicted a man for sex trafficking children.
In a decision, the Manila RTC through Judge Roberto Quiroz sentenced Sonny Francisco to life imprisonment for Qualified Trafficking.
The victims, who were 12 and 15 years old in 2007 testified that they were invited by Francisco to Manila to see a friend. Upon arriving to Francisco’s home, they said they were held against their will, along with other victims. Then, on a regular basis, they were escorted to a nearby hotel and forced to have sex with customers while Francisco’s wife waited at the hotel lobby.
The victims’ rescue was facilitated with help and collaboration from the sisters’ mother, the Manila Police District and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Samar and the National Capital Region (NCR). The sisters, along with the other minor girls, were immediately taken to a government shelter for trafficking victims.
Recently, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) facilitated the arrest of the two other alleged traffickers. They have been charged with Qualified Trafficking and their trial is currently on-going in a different court.