Following the report of a TV news network that prostitution is rampant in one of the transitory sites for evacuees of the Zamboanga  siege, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarified that there were reported cases in 2014 and in November 2015 but these did not involve women or minor-evacuees now residing at the area.

Mampang 1 Transitory Site Camp Manager Juila Jailani said that the incidents did not involve evacuees but sex workers who were outside the community.

This was affirmed by Socorro Rojas, City Social Welfare and Development Officer (CSWDO), who said that they were able to interview the women involved in the alleged prostitution case.

“They admitted that they are not evacuees from the siege but are outsiders who entered the transitory site,” Rojas related.

Rojas said  that the entry of these sex workers at the site remains a challenge since wedding celebrations are opportunities for them to get inside the area.

However, the LGU is currently implementing the ‘No pass, no entry’ policy, wherein individuals who intend to visit transitory sites should secure first ‘passes’ from the CSWDO before entering.

Rojas added that camp managers, humanitarian partners, and parent leaders under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program have also been instructed and encouraged to monitor the people visiting their places.

Rojas further said that the LGU continues to conduct investigation regarding the issue.

It can be recalled that DSWD funded the construction of bunkhouses and recovery shelters for 2,430 family-evacuees of the Zamboanga seige worth P143,484,113.78

The management of the bunkhouses and transitory sites was turned over to the LGU in April 2015.###