DAVAO CITY (MindaNews /20 Nov) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Davao expressed alarm over the emergence of closed groups on social media which are used as platform to traffic sex workers.
Gladys Credo, spokesperson for DSWD-Davao, told Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency (PIA) last Friday that they are looking into these closed groups, including “Davao Walkers” and “Tagum Walkers,” where sex workers dubbed “walkers,” communicate with their clients through private chats.
This is alarming, she said, as it is difficult to trace online transactions between the victims and their supposed clients who often hide their identities by using fictitious names.
These closed groups need administrators’ approval before anyone can join and interact with the sex workers, she added.
Transactions via these groups, she said, usually start with a post from the sex workers: “are you free for a walk tonight?”
She said anyone who answers “yes” will receive a private message, and this is when transaction between a sex worker and her client happens.
Credo added that the workers get paid through electronic cash transfers such as Palawan Express Padala and GCash.
“They are becoming more ‘high tech.’ This is more challenging because transactions are done online wherein we are not capable of (monitoring)… We really need to level up in order to keep up with the trend,” she said.
She said the efforts have been undertaken by the DSWD in collaboration with its partner, the non-government organization, Talikala, Inc., to encourage women to quit prostitution but added that most of them resist as they could earn P5,000 to P10,000 daily.
Peter John Cabanilla, victim witness coordinator designate for the Department of Justice (DOJ)-Davao, added that the prosecutors find it challenging to prosecute persons involved in sex trafficking and online prostitution as it is difficult to look for evidence to establish the crime and most of the victims choose not to pursue the case.
What makes it more difficult to prosecute, he added, is that the persons behind online prostitution and trafficking hide their identities by using fake accounts.
“It’s very complicated and challenging not only for law enforcement but also for the prosecution. For online transactions through Davao Walker, they would only file a complaint after they are scammed when they are not paid for their services and when they are being abused,” he added.
He said online prostitution poses challenge for government to step up efforts to prevent online trafficking and prostitution.
“While we are battling cases of traditional prostitution and trafficking in person, here comes online which is fast growing,” he added.
Major Eudisan Gultiano, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 11, said authorities have intensified cyber patrolling to clamp down on online trafficking and prostitution.
Gultiano acknowledged that online sexual exploitation is a challenge but said several cases have been solved by their Cybercrime Unit. “We have many measures like cyber patrolling and other means to retrieve their chats,” she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)