CEBU, Philippines - A 27-year-old woman from Mindanao who was a victim of human trafficking when she was young died of HIV-AIDS last December 26 in one of the hospitals in Cebu City.
Fr. Joseph Aquino of Caritas Cebu confirmed the information to The Freeman, saying the woman will be laid to rest today in the city.
“Among plano sa Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral siya misahan apan tungod sa kapuno sa schedule sa simbahan, sa sementeryo nalang ug ako ang mo-selebrar sa Santos nga Misa,” Aquino said.
He said Caritas Cebu and Philchan have tried to help the woman for almost two months but the ailment was already in its final stages.
“Dul-an sa duha ka bulan natabangan pa sa Caritas Cebu ug Philchan… apan lisod na gayud siya atong panahona kay dugay naman nakagamot iyang sakit,” Aquino said.
“Amo gayud karon gipahimug-atan ang Compassion ug Mercy ngadto sa atong mga kaigsuonan nga labing nanginahanglan,” Aquino said.
“Subay sa giluwatan ni Archbishop Jose Palma, atol sa National Aids Day nga kinahanglan hatagan og dinalian nga pagtagad ang mga biktima sa maong sakit tungod kay mas labi kini sila nga nagkinahanglan, hinungdan amo gilayon gitabangan paglihok ang mga papeles niini aron kini mapahiluna ilabi na wala kini pamilya dinhi sa Sugbo,” Aquino added.
The woman has lived in Cebu City for 13 years.
When she was just 14 years old, she was reportedly brought to Cebu by someone who promised her a job but she ended up at brothel and eventually as a commercial sex worker.
“Gumikan sa pagsalig nga iyang nadawat nga makabaton siya og maayong ugma, apan nasadlak kini og dili maayong kasinatian, hangtod nga kini nasugamak sa mga nagkadaiyang kalihukan nga naghatag kaniya og kadaut,” a source told The Freeman.
She was formally diagnosed as having HIV-AIDS when one of the participants of a forum organized by Caritas Cebu, Philippine Catholic HIV, and Aids Network realized that the woman who happened to be a neighbor was showing symptoms of the disease.
The woman was the second to die of HIV-AIDS in Cebu this year. — /JMO (FREEMAN)