Negros Oriental has filed eight court cases against 11 human trafficking suspects, with 16 victims recorded as of April 30, 2025.
Fiscal Emmylou Bendanillo of the Provincial Prosecution Office revealed the latest figures as efforts to combat human trafficking continue nationwide.
In a recent media seminar organized by the US Embassy in Bacolod City, Cagayan de Oro City Prosecutor Charisse Bitoon stressed that protecting victims and promptly prosecuting offenders require strong support from local government units to provide investigative tools, facilities and resources for victims.
In 2018, the Department of Justice recognized Bitoon for prosecuting a human trafficking case involving an Australian pedophile. She was recently invited as a resource speaker at the 17th Media Seminar on “Reclaiming Lives: Breaking the Human Trafficking Cycle,” organized by the US Embassy in Bacolod.
Bitoon urged local officials to intensify efforts against human trafficking, especially to prevent online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and child sexual abuse or exploitation materials.
“The community should be concerned about what’s happening around them on the dangers of children who are subject of trafficking, and because of social media, we haven’t seen it’s rampant but it’s secretly veiled,” Bitoon said.
Prosecutors cited challenges such as victims’ hesitation to report or cooperate, limited training for law enforcement on identifying and collecting evidence, and gaps in inter-agency coordination affecting responses to OSAEC cases.
Both Bendanillo and Bitoon recommended the use of videotaped in-depth disclosure interviews (VIDI) for child victims of human trafficking.
VIDI allows a single, trauma-informed interview, reducing re-traumatization by minimizing repeated questioning and preserving the victim’s narrative for investigations.
Bitoon said this approach also reduces the need for live court testimony, speeds up cases and protects victims from further distress.
She called on local officials to establish one-stop facilities or rooms for interviewing child victims to avoid re-traumatization and help them become survivors.
To address challenges, the province has conducted ladderized specialized training: Specialized Trainings on OSAEC Perspective on Trafficking in Person and Basic and Exhaustive Access to Training on Trafficking in Person.
The Provincial Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children has also rolled out multidisciplinary team interview training for prosecuting child abuse cases, Bendanillo said.
She emphasized the importance of ordinances supporting law enforcement and child protection, as well as activating or maintaining functional barangay councils for the protection of children.
The public was urged to watch for common red flags of human trafficking, such as unexplained sudden lifestyle changes of families, neighbors frequently visiting money service centers or owning modern appliances, and children frequently visiting a house late at night without reasonable explanation.
“We ask the community to practice good ‘Maritesing’ — be vigilant for red flags like an old foreigner with a young Filipina girl or many small slippers outside a front door in subdivisions or condos — and report these to barangay or police,” Bitoon said. (PIA – NIR Negros Oriental)