Davao City keeps close watch on airport for trafficked minors

DAVAO CITY, April 26 (PIA) – The City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) of the local government of Davao City is keeping close watch on trafficked minors in the city’s lone international airport.

Teresita Pioncio of the CSSDO said that last April 20, the city reactivated its desk in the Davao International Airport to look out for minors who are being trafficked out of the region. Pioncio said that there are four social workers working full-time manning the CSSDO desk in the airport.

“They work in two shiftings, two social workers for each shift,” Pioncio said. The team is also backed up by two more social workers from the Quick Response Team for Children’s Concerns (QRTCC) an inter-agency team consisting of local and national government agencies.

Pioncio said that they are coordinating with the Aviation Security Group (airport police) where the policemen identify potential trafficked minors. “If they cannot show any papers the police would bring them to us.

So far the CSSDO desk has offloaded three minors who were enroute to Manila.” Pioncio said. “The elements of trafficking were there. The minors said that they are going to be schooled in Manila.” Pioncio recounts.

She added that the minors didn’t present the necessary permit to travel for their trip. Pursuant to the provisions of the Children’s Welfare Code of Davao City, minors below 15 years old who are traveling alone or with a person other than his/ her parents or guardian are required to secure a permit to travel.

Among the requirements of a permit to travel are the birth certificate of the minor,  barangay clearance issued by the barangay captain, written parental consent as attested by the barangay captain (if without parents, the written consent of the grandparents or the eldest sibling), identification card of the minor, identification card of the accompanying adult.

She added that modus operandi of human traffickers is to recruit minors for domestic household jobs only to take them into brothels and nightclubs.

Pioncio said that they are intensifying efforts to stop these traffickers in their transit points particularly airports and seaports, she added that passenger vessels no longer calls on the Sasa Port thus added efforts on keeping watch over the airport and bus terminals.

In February of this year six trafficked women were rescued in Baguio City all came from Davao, three of them minors.  In 2011, about 28 minors were rescued in Davao City. (PIA-11/RG Alama)