Female victims of prostitution rings being ‘recycled’ — police

Operatives of the Makati City Police arrest 16 Chinese customers and the owner of an alleged prostitution den in Makati City in a raid launched on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (Photo from Makati City Police)

MANILA, Philippines — Even after being rescued by police during raids of sex dens, some women still find themselves gripped by the clutches of prostitution.

Maj. Gideon Ines Jr., investigation chief of the Makati City Police, revealed he had experienced rescuing a Chinese woman twice from a prostitution ring.

“Meron kaming nahuling isa, na-recycle. Meron kaming nahuli sa isang club. ‘Yung nahuli namin, napalaya, and then nagulat kami sa isang operation ulit sa prostitution den nandoon ulit siya,” Ines told reporters after the Senate hearing on Tuesday concerning prostitution dens patronized by Chinese employees of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos).

(We rescued a woman, but she was recycled. We found her in a club. She was released, but we were surprised to see her again in a separate operation in another prostitution den.)

Makati City has recorded a number of prostitution rings raided by the police in recent months. Some of these dens are located in hotels or are disguised as massage centers.

Brig. Gen. Alessandro Abella, director of the Philippine National Police – Women and Children Protection Center, said the unit has conducted six raids in sex dens in 2019. In these operations, 140 foreign victims were rescued and 55 suspects were arrested.

According to Ines, rescued women were released after police operations are conducted and were referred to local social welfare and development offices for intervention efforts.

“But after nung mapalaya sila ano na ngayon ang estado nila sa atin? Walang mga trabaho ‘yan. [Sasabihin lang nila] ‘Edi papasok ulit ako,’” the police official said.

(But after they were released, what will be their status in the society? They have no jobs. [So they will just say] “I will just go back.”)

During the hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, also expressed concern over the matter, saying she also received reports that some rescued women opt to return to prostitution activities due to lack of a decent job.

“Sa dami ng sinabi about the gap for reintegration and recovery, mukhang kailangan talaga tingnan what happens to these women, nakakalaya ba talaga sila dyan sa trafficking or prostitution or ni-re-recycle lang sila or pilit nilang ni-re-recycle ang sarili nila in and out of these doors?” she noted.

Meanwhile, Ines and Vicente De Guzman III, Deputy Director for Special Investigation Service of the National Bureau of Investigation, raised the issue on the difficulty in pursuing charges against suspects arrested in prostitution dens since victims could not be traced anymore after they are released.

De Guzman said some cases are even dismissed because victims could no longer testify in court.

He then called on the Senate committee to recommend measures that can be undertaken for better handling of victims after being rescued in raids so that charges against suspects can be better pursued by law enforcers.

Edited by JPV