Teen charged with humantrafficking

MANILA, Philippines - An 18-year-old man has been charged for allegedly acting as a pimp for two girls, the Manila Police District (MPD) said yesterday.

Patrick Kelly Gabieta was charged with human trafficking following his arrest in a sting by the MPD’s anti-human trafficking task force on April 1.

The MPD staged the sting with the help of the Department of Justice and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), whose agents went undercover to strike a deal with Gabieta, claiming to be interested in underaged girls, at a convenience store along Pedro Gil street in Ermita.

Gabieta sent a text message to the girls, aged 14 and 15, who showed in front of a school along the same street. He was arrested when he accepted marked money from the undercover agents.

Gabieta was brought to the MPD headquarters while the girls were taken to the local social welfare office.