Cops rescue 6 female minors being pimped to foreign tourists
July 27, 2017 · By Jun A. Malig for www.rappler.com
The two sisters’ decisive action results in the arrest of 3 suspected female pimps and the rescue of 4 girls aged 13, 14, 15, and 17
Pseudonyms have been used for the minors in this story to protect their identities.
ANGELES CITY, Philippines – Minutes after allegedly being sexually abused by a Japanese tourist, sisters Elisa, 16, and Emma, 13 (not their real names), realized they could no longer endure their ordeal and decided to end it by seeking help.
On Tuesday, July 25, the two sisters’ decisive action resulted in the arrest of 3 suspected female pimps and the rescue of 4 girls aged 13, 14, 15, and 17.
Around 4:00 p.m. last July 21, Ronaldo Quizon, a member of the Angeles City Traffic Development Office, was manning the flow of vehicles along the red light district of Fields Avenue in Balibago village when the sisters approached him for help.
The two girls told Quizon that they were allegedly raped by a male Japanese tourist inside one of the rooms of 1st Avenue Hotel located along First Street, a few hundred meters away from Fields Avenue.
The girls pointed at a Japanese man, who ran away after seeing that they were talking with the traffic regulator.
Quizon followed the Japanese tourist, identified later as Michichiro Suzumura, 43, who went inside JJ’s Supermarket.
Quizon stood outside the market, waiting for Suzumura to come out. After several minutes, he decided to go inside the store, arrested the Japanese tourist and brought him to a nearby police station.
Chief Inspector Aris Gonzales said police investigators found out that Suzumura had been receiving text messages from pimps, offering him sex with minor females as young as 13 years old in exchange for a few thousand pesos.
Policemen then laid out a plan to entrap the pimps. They exchanged text messages with the pimps using Suzumura’s mobile phone.
On July 25, policemen were able to arrest Cyrille Lazaga, 18; Jessica Dimarucut, 18; and Mary Ann Abundo, 21 – young women suspected to be the ones sending text and multi-media messages to Suzumura.
The police operatives were also able to rescue 4 minor females in a follow-up operation.
The arrested suspects are facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act; violation of Republic Act 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act; and violation of Republic Act 9775, the Anti-Child Pornography Act.
The 6 minor women were turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office for debriefing and related assistance. – Rappler.com
