In what has been a huge victory against human trafficking, two women were sentenced last week to life imprisonment for recruiting girls for sexual exploitation in Cebu City. Aside from the jail term, Judge Bienvenido Saniel Jr. also ordered Marlyn Buhisan and Marichu Tawi to pay a fine of at least P2 million.
Aside from the two women, Saniel also sentenced Antonio Planteras to 15 years in prison for allowing his lodging house to be used as venue for sexual exploitation. The judge also imposed a P500,000 fine on Planteras.
Their case stemmed from an entrapment operation in 2009 in which four girls, including a minor, were rescued from prostitution. Before their arrest, the police conducted surveillance operation on the flesh business of Buhisan, Tawi, and Planteras.
For the public, the conviction was another triumph in the campaign against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. For the authorities, the conviction served as a strong warning to those who are still in such illegal business.
However, the fight against human trafficking is far from over. There are many human traffickers out there whose operations remain undetected by authorities. In fact, there are those whose business has been flourishing because they managed to get protection by bribing the authorities.
Therefore, there is a need to heighten the crusade. If the country is determined to shed its notorious tag as a haven for human trafficking and sexual exploitation, the government should leave no stone unturned in the effort to defeat the menace.
And part of the intensified drive should include immediate dispensing of cases. It cannot be denied that many human trafficking cases remain unresolved because the concerned judges have some other priorities.
Before their conviction, Buhisan, Tawi, and Planteras have been tried by the court for five years. By Philippine standard, the case's duration was normal. But courts handling human trafficking cases should double their time to send a clear message that the government is really serious in combating the enemies.