To prove victims are not minors DSWD: Show documents

CEBU, Philippines - The victims of human trafficking, who were rescued over the weekend and are believed to be minors, will remain under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) until proper documents are presented. 

DSWD child welfare specialist Rose Salazar said that they believe that some of the victims are still minors although they claim to be adults. With this, she said they will not be released until documentary evidence is presented, proving they are of legal age.       

“Of the 11 rescued victims, there are four suspected to be minors. We cannot determine right away if they are indeed minors or not. They claim to be adults, as in any other rescue operation. But as their appearance shows, they might be minors. So they will remain with us for the moment,” Salazar explained to The Freeman.

Last Friday night, 11 girls were rescued inside a mall in an operation of the Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, together with the DSWD and private organization International Justice Mission (IJM).

The seven confirmed adults were released after the DSWD conducted counseling. Salazar said the agency cannot oblige for the women to stay under their custody since it is the right of the legal-aged women to decline.

Salazar added that there were people claiming to be relatives of “minors” but stressed those proper steps must be followed before they release anyone under their protective custody.

“The assessment process is ongoing. The pimp is already detained. The children are safe in our center. Unless we can prove that the relatives are capable of taking care of them, they will remain in our custody. Yes, there are people visiting or calling our office to claim that they are relatives of these rescued children,” the DSWD officer explained.

These minors, as a matter of policy, will stay in the center for six months, although would depend on the case.

“If we see a capable relative who can properly guide the children into not committing the same acts again, then we can have the stay be shortened. In the same way, we can extend if no family has been identified yet,” she said.  (FREEMAN)