Twenty-three Myanmar nationals and six Chinese were rescued as victims of human trafficking and forced labor in Parañaque City, P/Maj. Gen. Eliseo DC Cruz said yesterday in a press conference at Camp Crame.
The Women and Children Protection Center of the Philippine National Police rescued the 29 on Wednesday in a house along Sunrise Street in Barangay Tambo, following a tip by two other trafficked individuals earlier recovered by the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group.
The group came from Dubai and was employed by a company in the Philippines engaged in illegal online investment solicitation and gaming, according to police investigation.
Cruz said the two Myanmar nationals, a man and a woman, were rescued by the PNP-AKG before being turned over to the WCPC on 27 September.
“The duo informed investigators that a relative of theirs and other Myanmar nationals were left in that same company and are still being forced and exploited to work as online scammers, hence, the rescue operation,” Cruz said.
The WCPC coordinated with the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to effect the rescue at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
The rescued foreigners were put in the care of the WCPC and were awaiting medical examination and antigen testing prior to their transfer to a government shelter at press time.
A certain “Christine” was identified as the owner of the company that forced the foreigners against their will after paying them only one time and withholding their P60,000 monthly salary.
They said they were forced to work 14 hours a day with no holidays. When they told “Christine” they wanted to quit, they were each asked to pay P550,000.
“Accordingly, they were locked in a room, beaten and electrocuted with the use of an electric taser, with no food and water since they no longer want to work and do not have the capability to pay their demands prior to their release,” Cruz said.