AN Australian man could be jailed for life in the Philippines on human trafficking charges following raids on a notorious red-light district in which 100 women were rescued, police say.
Three bars in the northern city of Angeles that were known to be fronts for prostitution were raided last night, according to a statement from national police headquarters in Manila.
A number of other foreigners were also arrested after they were found having sex with some of the women and would face less severe charges than human trafficking, the statement said.
The manager of the Sunshine Bar, Australian Terrence James Smith, was detained, while about 100 female sex workers were rescued from the three establishments, the statement said.
Police said Mr Smith would be charged with human trafficking, which carries a maximum prison term of life.
One police officer involved in the raid, who asked not to be named, said the other foreigners picked up were two Americans and a Japanese.
Two Swedish men accused of running a cyber-sex den and charged with human trafficking were last month jailed for life in the southern Philippines.
Angeles has long had a reputation as a giant red-light district, initially for American soldiers when the city hosted Clark Air Base, which the United States handed back to the Philippine government in 1992.
Filipino authorities continued to turn a blind eye to prostitution in Angeles after the US forces left, with one section of the city devoted to strip bars and hotels catering to foreign men.
Yesterday's raids were linked to a US decision on Monday to remove the Philippines from a watchlist of countries deemed not doing enough to combat human trafficking, police criminal investigation chief Samuel Pagdilao said.
"Pagdilao said that the successive raids in Angeles City's red light district last night affirms the recent pronouncement made by the United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton," the police statement said.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/aussie-accused-of-human-trafficking/story-e6frf7lf-1226084392845
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