“Every 12 minutes, a Filipino child is sex trafficked”

Group against sex trafficking launched
By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) Updated May 13, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Manila, Philippines - Various government and non-government organizations (NGOs) have joined hands in the campaign to fight sex trafficking in the country.

Representatives from government, media, the business sector and NGOs gathered at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel Wednesday night in support of the Called to Rescue Foundation, a non-profit worldwide organization involved in rescuing minor children from sex trafficking, violence and abuse.

The event also saw the launching of a 24/7 hotline number – 0906 3063889 – that will respond to emergency or crisis calls from victims of trafficking.

“With all of us working together this situation in your country can be taken care of… as we all come together we can make this a sex trafficking-free country,” Dr. Cyndi Romine, president of Called to Rescue said.

Romine noted that one out of 10 trafficked children in the world is Filipino. “Every 12 minutes, a Filipino child is sex trafficked,” she said.

NBN-ZTE deal whistleblower Rodolfo Lozada, The STAR columnists Jarius Bondoc and Cito Beltran, beauty and wellness expert Cory Quirino and singer Kuh Ledesma were among the personalities who joined the stepped-up drive against sex trafficking.

Anthony Pangilinan, one of the foundation’s board members, said about 1.2 million children below 18 years old are victimized by the sex traffic every year. He said about 100,000 of the victims are Filipinos.

“We are disturbed because of the fast increase in the numbers,” Pangilinan said.

Leslie Cordero, assistant secretary for legislative affairs who represented Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, gave assurance that the issue of human trafficking will be discussed in the next Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council meeting.

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