Trafficking victims from KL repatriated via RP

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Twenty-four repatriates from Malaysia arrived at this airport around 11 a.m. Sunday as the Task Force on Migrant Protection steps up its operations against human traffickers.

The 24 repatriates, the biggest group so far to disembark here, arrived on board an Air Asia airlines 320 flight from Kuala Lumpur with flight number AK 32.

Officials led by Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Jose Victor Luciano were on hand to meet the repatriates.

Luciano said the repatriates were initially brought to the Philippine Center in Kuala Lumpur before being flown to this airport. He said 10 more will be repatriated soon.

He also said only five of the repatriates left for Malaysia from this airport while the rest left from the Mactan International Airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and even some from the backdoor in Zamboanga.

Luciano said some of the repatriates stayed from three to six months in Malaysia before they were brought to the Philippine Center.

According to Luciano, only 10 of the 24 repatriates were reportedly forced into prostitution while the rest worked in violation of their contracts.

The Ing Makababaing Aksyon (IMA) Foundation, which exposed to the media that this airport is being used daily to bring young women to Sandakan, Malaysia, was also on hand to meet the repatriates.

Foreign Affairs Deputy Regional Director Imelda Delos Santos said they assisted airport officials in the repatriation of the young women, whose ages are all in their 20s. She said the repatriates have no passports and visas.

Meanwhile, Luciano said they have already identified the people behind the recruitment of the victims.

Earlier, Bong Torres, supervisor of the airport terminal here, said two repatriates arrived at 11 a.m. on Saturday onboard an Air Asia airline from Kuala Lumpur.

CIAC is leading the fight in the campaign against human trafficking as efforts have been stepped-up against syndicates using this airport as their take-off point.

CIAC President and CEO Victor Jose Luciano recently met at the CIAC boardroom here, with officials of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agencies (POEA), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) in Clark and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to map out plans and form a task force totally eliminate human trafficking using this airport as jump off point.

Luciano also invited Susan Pineda, executive director of the IMA Foundation. - GMANews.TV

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