source UNTVWEB.COM
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — 82 women allegedly almost became victims of human trafficking after being discovered lacking in required documents to leave the country.
Customs Police Director Nestorio Gualbert Jr. said, one of their men noticed a group of women boarding a Malaysian chartered plane at the Zamboanga International Airport.
It was quickly discovered that the plane, owned by Lion-Air Inc., didn’t have enough permit from the Custom Immigration Quarantine and Securities to travel back to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia without passengers.
The women’s reason for going abroad as tourists was also suspicious because they didn’t have roundtrip tickets.
Based on Republic Act 9208 or Anti-Trafficking Persons Act of 2003, there is violation of human trafficking if recruitment and involuntary migration occurs without the person’s consent.
The group of women, whose ages are from 19 to 23 years and seem to have come from different parts of the country, is suspected to have been victims of a large syndicate.
The Zamboanga Police Women’s Desk will file Illegal recruitment charges against Marilou Versoza of Tondo, Manila, and the alleged recruiter of the group.
“They were recruited purposely as domestic helpers in Lebanon, Jordan, or Libya, and that was what the women were expecting,” Gualberto said.
He also added that Malaysia is often used as a jump off by illegal recruiters who promise to provide jobs from the Middle East. Without specific job permits or job contracts, victims of illegal recruitment end up working in night spots and night clubs.
The rescued women were turned over to the care of DSWD in Zamboanga. (UNTV News)
