2 Filipinas convicted of trafficking in HK

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: December 21, 2007

HONG KONG -- Convinced by their victims’ detailed testimony on the flesh trade here, a judge yesterday convicted two Filipino women in what prosecutors called a “landmark” human trafficking case.

District Judge Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios found Jennifer N. Balibat, 28, and Angelita A. David, 39, guilty of trafficking five Filipino women into Hong Kong in July to work as prostitutes in Wan Chai, the city’s red-light district.

The judge sentenced the two to three years in prison after finding them guilty of two counts of human trafficking and five counts of aiding and abetting the breaching of the conditions of stay.

“On the evidence before me, I am satisfied the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants are guilty on charges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,” Remedios said.

Facts are clear

“The facts are very clear. You arranged for the five women to be brought to Hong Kong from the Philippines for the purpose of prostitution,” she said.

Prosecutor Edward Le Breton Laskey urged the court to immediately release copies of the verdict, saying he had heard from investigators that even President Macapagal-Arroyo was interested in the case.

“This is the very first case involving the prosecution of Filipino nationals for this type of offense to be held outside the Philippines,” Laskey told the court. “I understand this has generated a lot of interest … even from the President of the Philippines.”

Hong Kong police officers flew to Manila last month to talk to Department of Justice officials and Dante Ang, chair of the Presidential Task Force Against Trafficking, about the case.

The Hong Kong police also went to Nueva Ecija since the Philippine government had filed human trafficking charges there against Loida Villaflor, an alleged accomplice of Balibat and David.

The women—aged 24 to 39—were made to work as prostitutes because they owed the traffickers P60,000 for their air fare and accommodations.

Villaflor and David reportedly recruited the women in the Philippines while David and Balibat picked them up when they arrived at the Hong Kong airport in two groups late last July.

Remedios said she believed the victims’ account that David and Balibat had urged them to look for customers willing to pay for sex so they could repay the P60,000 immediately.

They were told they could earn from HK$400 to HK$2,000 if they chose the right customer.

“(One of the victims) was told by (Balibat) not to go out with Chinese men because they might report her to the police. (She) was also advised to avoid Indians and Pakistanis because they could be very rude,” the judge said.

She said the victims were also warned about Indians “who would not pay” and might even beat them.

Balibat advised the women to look for black men because of their “size.”

The victims sought the help of the Philippine consulate and the police because, contrary to the traffickers’ promises, they were not adequately fed and were housed in cramped apartments.