Seven minors rescued from Caloocan sex den

Northern Police District intelligence agents rescued from a suspected prostitution den seven minors and arrested their recruiter as well as two alleged pimps in an operation last Wednesday in Caloocan City.

NPD director Senior Superintendent Raul Gonzales said the operation was conducted in coordination with the local social work office and a crew from an NBN TV-4 program on a residential building at 226 Barrio Maligaya, Bagong Anyo Compound on 3rd Avenue at around 6:15 p.m.

It resulted in the rescue of seven girls — one 12-year-old, two 13-year-old girls, two 14-year-old girls, a 16-year-old and one 17-year-old, all natives of Gandara, Samar.

Arrested was the girls’ recruiter and the one who maintains the alleged prostitution den identified as Danilo Oliva, 50, a nativeof Samar and a resident of Paradise Village, Letre Road, Barangay Tonsuya, Malabon City.

Also apprehended were Oliva’s cohorts, who allegedly served as his pimps. They were identified as Roosevelt Bondoc, 31, a resident of Barangay 21, 2nd Avenue, Caloocan City, and Rosita Arevalo alias Mommy Rose, 48, also a resident of Barangay 21 on 2nd Avenue.

Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., NPD-District Intelligence and Investigation Division (DIID) chief, said that a surveillance operation was conducted on the suspected prostitution house after the Kamao TV program of NBN tipped the NPD-DIID of the white slavery operation that had been victimizing young girls.

"We were able to confirm the illegal operation when one of our men who posed as customer was able to pick up a young girl from the target area," Ramos said.

At the DIID office, the young girls said that it was Oliva and a certain Aling Celing who recruited them from their province.

They were promised good paying jobs in Manila while others were also promised to be sent to school.

"Kaso pagdating namin, kinagabihan pinagbihis kami pagkatapos may kumuha sa amin na mga lalaki," one 16-year-old girl told The STAR.

She said that she was given P5,000 after her "first experience."

Ramos said Anti-Trafficking of Persons charges are being readied against the suspects.

The police were coordinating yesterday with the Caloocan City social workers for the care of the young victims. – Pete Laude, Jerry Botial