THE SAN Fernando City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 30, in a resolution dated March 5 and released to media on May 8, has sentenced human trafficker Sheryl L. Lim to life imprisonment and ordered her to pay a fine of P2 million in connection with the sexual exploitation of two women and four minors in La Union. The resolution, penned by judge Alpino P. Florendo, said Ms. Lim was found “guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Qualified Trafficking in Persons,” in violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012. She was also ordered to pay P500,000 in moral damages and P100,000 in exemplary damages to each of the six victims. The Justice Department, in a statement, said the victims claimed they were hired as waitresses but were instead forced to engage in sexual activities with customers. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

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