THE Supreme Court has upheld the life imprisonment sentence of a South Korean pastor convicted of qualified trafficking involving minors.
Si Young Oh, also known as Steve Oh and affiliated with the Korean Christian Presbyterian General Assembly in Seoul, moved to the Philippines in 2008. He later became the head of a theology school in Pampanga, operating without the necessary government permits.
The Supreme Court found that Oh lured three 17-year-old minors under the pretense of offering free theological education, only to exploit them for forced labor in church construction projects.
The case came to light following a joint operation by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Bureau of Investigation on April 15, 2013, which led to the rescue of the minors and Oh’s arrest.
In defending his actions, Oh claimed the minors voluntarily participated in the labor as part of their religious training. However, the Regional Trial Court of Angeles City convicted him in 2017, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeals in 2021.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court found that all elements of trafficking under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (Republic Act 9208) were clearly established. The Court emphasized that trafficking occurs regardless of consent when individuals are manipulated through deception or exploitation for exploitative purposes, including forced labor.
The crime is categorized as “qualified trafficking” — which carries a life sentence — when it involves minors or multiple victims. The Court determined that Oh, directly or through an assistant, engaged in fraudulent recruitment and transportation of the minors, taking advantage of their vulnerability and religious beliefs.
Moreover, the Supreme Court highlighted that, even if the minors felt compelled by their faith to work, their consent could not be deemed fully voluntary. In addition to his life sentence, Oh was fined P2 million and ordered to compensate the victims with P1.8 million in damages.
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