‘One bar paid taxes, the other non-existent’

RECORDS at the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) showed that one of the two bars raided last Saturday night is paying taxes.

Sozima Sebes, head of the CTO’s business permits and fees division, said Pussycats World Clubland, owned by a certain Emelyn Castro paid P132,314.88 in taxes to the city government this year.

“Based on their payments, on average, Pussycat earns P12,000 every night,” Sebes said. Sebes didn’t find the second bar, Club Temptation, in their database.

“They may be registered as a different name,” the official said.

Pussycats, whose registered address is at 53-A J. King Bldg. in Mango Avenue, Cebu City, is classified as a bar/liquor establishment.

The raid done by the PNP Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force resulted in the rescue of 43 women including 14 minors and the arrest of six suspected female pimps.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he will call for a meeting regarding the incident with the Liquor Licensing Commission (LLC), Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board (CCAIB), the Cebu City Inter-Agency Council Against Human Trafficking, Councilor Lea Japson and Cebu City Police Office chief Noli Romana.

“I will have to wait for recommendations from CCAIB if these bars should be closed,” Rama said.

He said it is not a problems if these bars will be closed because there are other establishments that could replace them.

While saying that he is happy with the operation, Rama questioned why the Task Force did not coordinate with the Cebu City government before conducting the raid.

“We are aware of problems of trafficking but I’m wondering why they did not coordinate with the city government. Why are we not aware? Why was there no concerted effort?,” Rama asked.

City Ordinance No. 1408 authored by then councilor Renato Osmeña created the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board which monitors nightspots to ensure that they observe decency.

The board is also tasked to make recommendations on how the city government should deal with violators.

The ordinance considers as unlawful the public showing of violent, lewd or pornographic shows and movies.

The ordinance also bars the operation of private rooms especially when used for private shows.

It authorizes the mayor to temporarily suspend for 10 days, the operation of the erring establishment, pending investigation of their case.

For its part, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it is important to rescue trafficking victims early owing to their humiliation and hostility towards their rescuers.

“They are used to having their cellphones, their wants. Their perception on who rescued them becomes negative that’s why we need (to rescue them) early when they still consider themselves as victims,” Asst. Regional DSWD Director Nemia Antipala said.

Regional DSWD-7 Director Mercedita Jabagat said most children now especially the poor have become vulnerable to being trafficked and sexually exploited.

“Because of the easy money culture. Children have become breadwinners. Sa akong mga nakita diri, walay mga rescued victims nga dato ang mga ginikanan (From what I witness, there’s no rescued victims here whose parents are wealthy),” Jabagat said.

Shalaine Lucero, head of DSWD’s Protective Services Unit, said the prevalence of trafficking/prostitution due to poverty also distorts a poor family’s values.

When a trafficking victim becomes acclimatized to her condition after six months he or she doesn’t consider herself a victim anymore, she said.

“Even the family is unaware of what is right and wrong. This is a challenge to the local government units (LGUs) to make sure that the family is prepared to take care of the rescued girls,” Lucero added. /Jose Santino S. Bunachita and Joy Cherry S. Quito with Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac