By Haidee V. Eugenio
Variety Assistant Editor

PRESS Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. says the administration takes human and sex trafficking cases very seriously and will prosecute these cases vigorously.
Variety reported that the owners of the defunct Benny’s Place hired at least six waitresses from the Philippines who said they were coerced into performing sexual acts with bar customers.
Last week, Department of Labor Hearing Officer Barry Hirshbein asked the Office of the Attorney General to investigate a possible human trafficking case against Bienvenida C. Camacho, Felipe SN. Camacho and Michelle Corp.
Reyes cited examples of sex and human trafficking cases highlighted by Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez in his testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Feb. 8.
These include the indictment of four owners and officers of the Starlite Club in Garapan on sex and human trafficking charges.
The arrests of Starlite owners and employers came at a time when Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s administration has been trying to uplift Garapan’s image as a family-friendly destination for tourists.
“Those cases are examples of successful local prosecution of such cases, and they represent this administration’s firm commitment to law enforcement,” Reyes said in an e-mail response to Variety inquiry.
Deputy Attorney General Gregory Baka said human trafficking can be prosecuted either federally by the U.S. Attorney’s Office or locally by the AG’s Offive.
“As with the U.S. Department of Justice, it is the policy of the AGO not to comment on potential, pending, or completed investigations, other than through court filings,” he said in an e-mail.
This, according to Baka, is done to ensure that the criminal justice system operates properly and without compromise or interference, and to ensure that there are no violations of the rights of victims, suspects, and others.
The former workers of Benny’s Place were a not paid their hourly wages or overtime, were illegally confined in their barracks, and had illegal deductions made from their wages, among other labor violations.
Hirshbein issued a 27-page administrative order on March 28 awarding $110,000 in wages, damages and liquidated damages to Marites A. Aurelio, Ronna D. Santo Domingo and Rosalina C. Oliva.
Three of their former co-workers, who testified in the labor case, said they also suffered the same abuses from the employers.