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Teno: Crackdown on prostitution
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Posted on May 27 1999
Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday issued fresh calls to police and immigration authorities to clamp down on illegal flesh trade amid reports that prostitutes are back in the main tourist district of Garapan.
Residents and businessmen in Garapan have expressed concern of the growing presence of prostitutes which they say tarnishes the image of the area as a wholesome entertainment destination for visitors.
“We don’t tolerate the existence of prostitution,” Tenorio told reporters. “We want to see this discontinued.”
Last year the island government put in place measures to curb prostitution as part of a CNMI-wide campaign to rid the islands of prostitution. A law was implemented imposing fines and jail terms on violators.
According to the CNMI leader, he has asked the Departments of Public Safety and the Labor and Immigration to step up patrol and monitoring in Garapan to rid the island’s of the flesh trade.
The presence of prostitutes in CNMI has been criticized in media reports in the mainland which alleged that an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 women, mostly Chinese and Filipinos are being smuggled into the United States and its territories, including the Northern Marianas, every year.
Press reports say these women, including Russians and Latvians, are brought illegally to work as prostitutes in brothels.
“We are working closely with the federal and local agencies to address the problem,” the governor said.
