BUTUAN CITY—Six suspected pimps were arrested while seven teenagers who were allegedly forced to work as prostitutes were rescued by government agents in a raid at a rented house in a barangay here last week.

Arrested were Cherry Corcullo, 33; Roque Makilang, 21; Bernarderick Barbado, 24, of Veruela in  Agusan del Sur; Rowena Arcala, 24, of Bitan-agan, Butuan City;  Charlesbeth Que, 20, also of this city; and Olibert Orcullo, 26, of San Agustin in Surigao del Sur.

Makilang, who is allegedly Corcullo’s live-in partner, is a native of General Santos City.

The raiding team composed of members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Caraga region raided a house in Purok 10, Tambala, in barangay Lower Doongan to implement a search warrant issued by Judge Edgar Manilag of Branch 33 of the Regional Trial Court in Butuan City.

Joel Vernon, NBI special investigator, said seven female teenagers were rescued during the raid. He added that the girls, whose ages range from 13 to 19, came from Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Surigao City.

Vernon said the raid was staged after the mother of one of the victims filed a complaint with the NBI.

In a sworn statement, Maria (not her real name) said her daughter, Elvie, (not her real name) 13, ran away from their home last month for still unknown reasons.

Last week Maria said she found her daughter in front of D’Arthur’s Restaurant on Montilla Boulevard, this city.

Maria claimed her daughter was recruited to work as a commercial sex worker by Corcullo and Makilang. She said her daughter was promised to live in a comfortable place, given good food and nice clothes and provided with a cell phone.

Elvie told investigators that she started working for Cherry (Corcullo) and Oking (Makilang) last month and stayed in a house at Lower Doongan with other girls, who were mostly minors and engaged in commercial sex.

The 13-year-old girl said she and the other sex workers were closely guarded by Oking’s men most of the time and could not get out of the house. She added that they were not paid for their work.

Vernon said the suspects would be charged with child trafficking for commercial prostitution. He added the crime is nonbailable, as it is considered a heinous crime.  ---A. Pantaleon

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BUTUAN CITY—Six suspected pimps were arrested while seven teenagers who were allegedly forced to work as prostitutes were rescued by government agents in a raid at a rented house in a barangay here last week.