Recently, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), together with other government agencies, held a series of raids at Fields Avenue in Angeles City where some 100 sex workers were rescued from three night clubs.
Australian Terrence James Smith, manager of Sunshine bar was nabbed and detained. However, police failed to arrest Richard Douglas Agnew, who reportedly owns the Blue Nile and Golden Nile bars.
Based on InterAksyon’s report, the raids on the two bars “stemmed from the complaint lobbed by the Crusade Against Good Customs and Decency International, a non government organization based in the city that fights sex tourism.”
GMANews.TV’s report described Agnew as an Irish fugitive but the local police seem to be even “friendly” with him. Reliable sources told Punto Central Luzon that Agnew often walks almost everyday along Fields Avenue without getting arrested.
If Agnew, who has been staying in Angeles City for years, is suspected to be a fugitive, then he should be arrested immediately and be deported to face whatever criminal offense he may have committed in his country.
However, this Irish man allegedly remained “untouchable”, which also puzzles even local authorities. They now think that “a very influential person” is backing him up to elude arrest.
In fact, Blue Nile and Golden Nile have again opened last Monday even the mayor issued an order to stop the bars’ operation.
This despite the Department of Justice’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the Department of Social Welfare and Development recommended to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue a closure order against the three entertainment establishments.
ABUSE. Other reliable sources who have linkages in various entertainment establishments at Fields Avenue revealed that some of the women (others pregnant) rescued from the raids were reportedly physically abused for trying to escape.
In an email to Punto, the source disclosed that some of the police reportedly broke and opened the girls’ lockers and stole their cellphones and money. “When they asked to get it back after they were released, the police just laughed at them,” the source said.
New uniform, same image.
