Amid concerns raised by businesses Legislators to review prostitution law

Legislators are now exploring the possibility of revisiting the eight-year-old law on prostitution amid results of a survey conducted by the Department of Public Safety which listed the world’s oldest profession as the most pressing problem faced by businesses in downtown Garapan.

In an interview with reporters yesterday, House Committee on Health and Welfare Chair Rep. Malua Peter disclosed the need to review the existing law which criminalizes prostitution in the Northern Marianas.

Ms. Peter pointed out the importance of revisiting the law in order to identify the factors that contributed to the continued illegal practice of the sex trade on the islands, despite the institution of the law that prohibits it and the increased presence of police authorities in Garapan.

She did not answer questions on the possibility of the police backsliding on its implementation of the law although Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes acknowledged that the existing statute is already sufficient the way it is to curb the illegal practice.

According to Mr. Reyes, the eight-year-old law against prostitution even specifically mentioned restriction on the mere act of services solicitation by either the customer of the sex worker to provide police authorities more teeth in the enforcement of its provisions.

However, the senator stressed that the Legislature is open to any recommendation from both the Department of Public Safety and the business community if they think the existing law is already antiquated and should be refined.

“If our enforcing officers feel handicapped in some ways in the implementation of the anti-prostitution law, they should come up here in the Legislature and tell us what they think should be done to make enforcement easier for them,” he added.

The CNMI passed and started implementing a law that makes solicitation of sex services in exchange for money in 1993. The bill was introduced and authored by then Rep. Ana Teregeyo.

Efforts to revisit the law became imminent following disclosure by a DPS-survey which targeted business owners in the commercial district of Western Garapan to answer questions that lead to the identification of the most pressing problems needed to be addressed in the tourist belt.

Aside from prostitution, the business people respondents to the DPS survey listed public parking, purse snatching, theft, burglary, sewage, absence of trash bins, closed roads, the Street Market, and littering as the most prevalent concern on Saipan’s busiest district.

Investors operating establishments in the area have been clamoring that police authorities crack down on prostitution activities there.

Crackdown

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio previously asked police and immigration authorities to remain vigilant in tracking down possible groups of individuals in the Northern Marianas that may be engaged in the world’s oldest profession.

Mr. Tenorio has also urged other government agencies to coordinate with the labor and immigration department to block any efforts by unscrupulous individuals engaged in illegal activities like prostitution.

Reports earlier claimed that Saipan is starting to be in the world map of prostitution because Garapan sex trade has reportedly been advertised in the Internet. Because of this, Mr. Tenorio immediately called for an intensified crackdown against prostitution in the area.

Police operatives have been deployed to monitor prostitution activities in Garapan, while teams from the labor and immigration department have also been dispatched to look for possible suspicious activities in the red light district.

This, as he urged the public to report to the authorities any suspicious activities in the area, especially prostitution-related operations. “Let us know who are the pimps and we will immediately act on that. The individual will get into deep problem because we have a statute that penalizes prostitution.”

Several tour operators and shop owners have raised concerns over the apparently flourishing sex trade in Garapan, pointing out that the illegal activity is slowly turning the area into a shabby district.