TR Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday warned the public not to entrust their children to strangers.

This was after an 18-year-old girl was rescued from a bar in Cabuyao, Laguna Wedneday by a team from Bacolod City, who brought her home safely together with two other victims of human trafficking. Leonardia said he is happy that the victims were rescued and reunited with their families in Bacolod. "I hope the lesson from their experiences will be learned by other people," he said.

Christine (not her real name), was rescued from the Balutski bar in Laguna Wednesday during an operation conducted by SPO4 Nemia Cuzon of the Bacolod City Police Office, Socorro Detangco and Gina Castro of the Bacolod Women's Center.

The team also brought home a certain "Daisy", 15, and "Boy",18, who had escaped from the bar and helped them find Christine. However, they failed to find Rina, and another also named Christine, who were not around during the rescue operation.

Daisy is the minor who was fetched by the group of Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue in Genera Trias, Cavite last month to serve as a guide to where the other illegally recruited Bacoleños were brought. She was earlier rescued from the same bar during the Holy Week by the Cavite police and Maragondon Vice Mayor Nolito Magallanes, who provided her employment in General Trias. The three victims were recruited in Bacolod in August and October last year by a certain "Tita", also of Bacolod, who assured their parents that they will be taken good care of and provided jobs as house helpers or waitresses.

Their parents thanked Leonardia and Batapa-Sigue for facilitating the rescue of their children.

Leonardia said that when the parents came to him, he referred them to the Department of Social Services and Development. He said he issued a travel order last week to the team that would fetch them.

Charges were filed against the recruiter and the bar owners Friday before the Bacolod City Prosecutor's Office. Christine claimed they were maltreated by "Tita" and were not fed if they had few customers. Tita also pulled her hair if she refused to go out with the customers and they were only paid P50 a day.

Daisy said she was choked by Tita before and slapped in the face when she attempted to run away from the bar. Her job was to drop coins in the juke box and many times Tita would claim that their collection was short by P500, she said.

Batapa-Sigue said "That from their stories I hope the community will have more vigilance to fight against trafficking." She warned them that recruiters have talent scouts or head hunters who goes to the puroks to look for victims that are good looking or sexy especially those from very poor families. Once the victim is identified the recruiter then swoops down on her, she added.*CGS

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