Law sought to close child sex night spots ‘for good’

LOCAL  legislators were asked to enact an ordinance that would prohibit the reopening of establishments that were ordered closed by the Department of Labor and Employment.

Dole-7 Senior Labor and Employment Officer engineer Vicente Abordo  pointed to karaoke bars that reopen with different names but under the same management.

These night spots were shut down  for allowing minors to work as commercial sex workers.

“The possibility of reopening is there. What we want is a law that would prohibit these violators from reopening … good as closed forever,” he said in an interview during yesterday’s Provincial Children’s Summit at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).

The summit attended by youth leaders focused on crafting plans to deal with trafficking of minors.

Abordo said it’s difficult to determine if prostitution is being allowed by management of KTV bars.

He said it’s better that other agencies and organizations help them  expose KTV bars engaged in prostitution.

He said the DOLE office has closed down seven establishments in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

This includes last month’s closure of  Jaguar KTV bar in barangay Banilad, Cebu City, following an April raid that confirmed that the bar employed minors in sex shows.

The labor department found the bar liable for violating Republic Act 9231 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

Two minors were among the 146 female workers rescued from Jaguar KTV last April 9.

Most of them were aged 15 to 17 years old.

Social welfare and development officer Bibiana Horvath said poverty remains the reason girls resort to prostitution to support themselves and their families.