THE DON Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex (grandstand) where evacuees continue to stay to this day. INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PHOTO/JULIE S. ALIPALA
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines鈥擯rostitution continues to thrive in and around evacuation camps in Zamboanga City as many of the evacuees see it as a way out of hunger and misery, evacuees and officials say.
Hain Sukarna, 43, a mother of three, told the Inquirer that prostitution was taking place inside the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, where thousands of evacuees have been living since members of the Moro National Liberation Front attacked several villages here last September.
鈥淚t鈥檚 because there is nothing to eat. Some of them cannot get jobs due to lack of education. Some need money to buy medicines,鈥� Sukarna said.
Shallom Allian, program manager of the non-governmental organization Nisa Ul Haqq Bangsamoro, told the Inquirer that prostitution was indeed happening not just inside the sports complex but also along Cawa-Cawa Boulevard, where many evacuees have set up camp.
鈥淲e鈥檝e learned that there are (tent) brothels inside and outside, just near the Women鈥檚 Center building,鈥� Allian said.
He said the evacuees were 鈥渇orced to engage in prostitution for P25, P50 to as high as P300 just to address their immediate needs like food and medicines.鈥�
Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, the city鈥檚 health officer, admitted there was rampant prostitution inside the sports complex during the first three months that followed the siege.
鈥淚t was really rampant and there was even a joke about the 鈥榖agsak presyo(price drop)鈥� then,鈥� Agbulos said, adding that prostitution went on inside even when a curfew was imposed within the sports complex.
When the curfew was lifted, Agbulos said, 鈥渨e learned that these prostituted individuals brought their job back to the streets.鈥�
鈥淣ow, there is no prostitution inside the grandstand,鈥� he said.
The city health chief also acknowledged receiving reports of sexual activities inside the 鈥減ortalets鈥濃�攕hort for portable toilets鈥斺�渟o we deployed more latrine marshals and increased the presence of police patrols.鈥�
Evacuee Saadia Alfad said she constantly watches over her three children as there have been cases of sexual assault in the toilets.
鈥淚 accompany my daughter when she goes to the portalet,鈥� Alfad said.
Allian said there were cases of mothers and children having the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, and recently a three-year-old girl was reported to have tested positive for sexually transmitted disease.
Jasmin Teodoro of the Non Violent Peace Force told the Inquirer that the girl was referred to the City Health Office for immediate intervention.
Agbulos said, however, when checked again weeks ago, the girl tested negative for STD.
鈥淪he was first examined and found positive but when she was tested again, it turned out negative,鈥� he said.
Agbulos said they checked the girl鈥檚 genitalia and found that 鈥渢here was no penetration, only surface scratches that may be due to touching.鈥�
Dr. Kibtiya Uddin of the City Health鈥檚 HIV/AIDS surveillance unit said seven children, ages 3 to 12, were found to have STDs such as gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia.
鈥淲e were able to track them and provided treatment,鈥� Uddin said.
Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City鈥檚 acting police chief, said they still had to confirm reports about 鈥渢ent brothels鈥� in the evacuation centers.
鈥淲e have increased our personnel coupled with regular patrols there. But we have in our report only a single prostitution case that was months ago,鈥� Casimiro said.
He confirmed that two weeks ago the police rounded up about two dozen evacuees who were engaged in prostitution outside the sports complex.
鈥淚t is sad to note that majority were found with STD. There were minors with them,鈥� Casimiro said.
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