06 October 2016 — Prosecutors and representatives from eight countries and 12 U.S. states have gathered in Honolulu from September 28 to 30 to accelerate ongoing efforts to educate the public and promote networking among prosecutors and stakeholders in the fight against sex trafficking.

Among the delegations in attendance at the three-day conference were the Philippines, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Japan, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Canada, and Palau.

The Philippines sent prosecutors from the Philippine Department of Justice, namely: Claro A. Arellano, Prosecutor General; Jorge Catalan, Jr., Chief City Prosecutor; Aileen Marie S. Gutierrez, City Prosecutor; Marylin Cynthia Fatima Madamba-Luang, City Prosecutor; Joselita Mendoza, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor; Darlene R. Pajarito, Executive Director and Prosecutor, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking-DOJ; and Edward M. Togonon, City Prosecutor.

In his remarks, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith M. Kaneshiro emphasized that “even as we gather in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, we cannot escape the reality of what brings us here. It is the shared knowledge that sex trafficking is a global evil and that the responsibility for bringing sex traffickers to justice falls upon all of us.” Atty. Kaneshiro goes on to say that, “I am convinced that if we work together, we will leave this place inspired and more determined than ever to do all we can to put an end to sex trafficking.”

Chair & Presiding Officer of the Honolulu City Council Ernest Y. Martin said that “Human sex trafficking is without doubt the modern-day equivalent of human slavery… one of the most horrifying realities is that human sex trafficking isn’t confined to faraway places like Eastern Europe or Asia. It is occurring in large cities, small towns, and sometimes in a house right in our neighborhoods.” He also stated that “every one of us has a role to play in bringing these perpetrators to justice and setting free the victims of this evil in our midst.” END