Aussie nabbed, charged with human trafficking

CEBU CITY—An Australian was arrested inside an Internet café on Camotes Island, Cebu, on Wednesday to face charges of human trafficking.

Michael Refalo didn’t resist arrest when police cuffed him on Wednesday in Barangay (village) Northern Poblacion, San Francisco town, on Camotes, an island east of Cebu mainland.

Refalo, 61, denied allegations that he sexually abused a minor and attempted to have sex with another minor, saying he was just framed up by an ex-girlfriend.

He declined to elaborate although he promised to file charges against those involved in framing him up.

Refalo was taken to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Bogo City, 101.7 kilometers north of here.

Judge Antonio Marigomen, of RTC Branch 61 in Bogo, issued the arrest warrants for qualified trafficking and qualified attempted trafficking under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9208).

According to a report released by John Tanagho, International Justice Mission (IJM) deputy field office director, the Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force filed the complaints against Refalo at the Cebu provincial prosecutor’s office on March 17, 2014.

On March 26, the prosecutor’s office elevated the cases to the RTC in Bogo.

According to the IJM report, Refalo was put under surveillance after neighbors noticed that girls aged 14 to 18 frequented his house in Barangay Pooc, Sta. Fe, town on Bantayan Island, Cebu.

There were instances that the girls were still in their school uniforms. Sometimes, the girls rode with Refalo onboard his bike.

Aside from money and cell phones, the Australian promised the girls that he would finance their studies.

The IJM and the social welfare office in Sta. Fe town were able to locate two of the girls, aged 15 and 16.

One victim admitted that she was sexually exploited by the Australian several times while the other one claimed that Refalo attempted to have sex with her.

The revelations of the two led to the identification of 14 other victims, 12 of them minors.

On May 5, IJM sought the help of provincial and police officials.