How a Training Turned into a Rescue of underaged girls

At the training, IJM lawyers talked about the Philippines’ anti-trafficking law and spoke with officers about how to best interview rescued victims in order to pinpoint evidence of trafficking. As the workshop ended, a team of police and IJM staff drove to a bar in an area of the city known for its bars and nightclubs advertising girls girls girls.

The rescue team discovered four 17-year-old girls inside the seedy establishment masquerading as a bar and grille. The Philippine National Police gathered enough evidence to arrest two suspects, who have now been charged with trafficking of minors.

Then, with the help of IJM social workers and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, officers interviewed the survivors and recorded their statements—the process in which they had been trained earlier that day.

The interviews were so effective in this operation that the team finished two hours ahead of schedule—one of the fastest operations IJM Pampanga has had yet. They were also able to gather enough evidence that, for the first time, the Department of Labor and Employment decided to initiate the closure of the bar without a letter or petition from IJM. The bar is set to close this month.

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http://news.ijm.org/ijm-training-exercise-leads-to-rescue-of-underage-girls/