Global group scores big vs Angeles sex tourism

TO BLOGGER “Harry the Horse,” as he is known to his coexpatriates in and around the entertainment district of Balibago and Malabanias villages in Angeles City, “bars were more fun” on Fields Avenue several years ago than in the last two years that saw the increase of police raids.

“Back then, there was no International Justice Mission (IJM) trying to justify their reason for being by seeking out publicity through questionable raids of bars conducted under the umbrella of various police agencies,” the foreigner said in one of his blogs.

He was referring to the Washington D.C.-based global anti-human trafficking organization that set up an office in the nearby City of San Fernando in August 2012, as its third field office in the Philippines to focus on sex trafficking. Two other IJM offices are in Manila and Cebu.

Rescue underage workers, fight ‘bar fine’

The organization, which spends some $40 million for its worldwide operations every year, has been leading the raids on bars and similar entertainment establishments in Angeles City, with law enforcers and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat).

The raids were focused on rescuing underage sex workers and fighting “bar fine,” the fee paid to the bar to take a female entertainer out for sex.

 ‘It’s over!’

In a blog, titled “Why are the Angeles City bars being raided and why there are no more bar fines available,” the foreigner summed up his observation of the sex tourism in this city: “Angeles City is over as a mongering destination.”

The blogger, referring to the IJM, told his social media followers that the American NGO and the police have been rescuing girls and arresting bar owners and managers, charging them with human trafficking.

“My advice would be to forget Angeles City. It’s over! The good news is that there are hundreds of other destinations all over the world to enjoy ourselves with young honeys,” he said.

An online post by a foreigner several months ago at happierabroad.com forum said:

“Me and Billy went for a walk on Fields Avenue in AC (Angeles City) a few days ago. Man, Angeles City sucks now. The girls aren’t as hot and the blow row bars no longer have rooms for sex upstairs. That sucks. The choices suck now too. The hot ones look snooty and standoffish. They are always with Korean guys. Mr S says AC was much better before 2010.”

Constant raid

“It’s due to constant raid on bars by [IJM] from America that has ruined AC. There are frequent raids in AC nowadays, due to which many bars have closed and girls moved to other places. You can Google ‘IJM Angeles City raids’ for more info but don’t fall for the CON words like women ‘saved’ (or) ‘rescued’… It’s a million dollar charity scam of saving poor girls from Third World countries,” another foreigner replied to the post.

In its report on its operation in Pampanga in 2014, the IJM said it rescued some 150 people, including minors, from sex trafficking, and helped the government close 11 bars and entertainment establishments.

The website of Margarita Station, a 24-hour pool bar-restaurant on Fields

Avenue, documented 47 raids and bar closures since 2012 in Angeles. Some of the raids were undertaken through the efforts of the IJM.

The last raid led by the IJM and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) was on a bar on Fields Avenue on March 6 this year. Two foreigners belonging to the IJM acted as customers and paid bar fines to a pimp to take out two young women entertainers for sex.

A German suspected to be connected with the bar was arrested and 141 female entertainers were rescued, 13 of them were found to be below 18 years old.