16 rescued trafficking victims taken from NGO safehouse

Sixteen victims of illegal recruitment who were already in government custody were believed to have been taken again by the recruiter through people posing as their relatives, a report on “24 Oras” said Wednesday.

The report said people identifying themselves as relatives of the 27 victims—all women from Mindanao, three of them minors—started harassing the non-government organization tasked to take custody of the women Tuesday last week.

“Tuesday pa lang, mayroon nang nangha-harass. May pumunta doon [sa safehouse] na namimilit na gusto nilang kunin yung kanilang kamag-anak kasi kinukulong daw namin,” said Cecilia Obeando,  president of Visayan Forum, the NGO tasked to take care of the victims as the Department of Social Welfare and Development prepares the case against the recruiter.

“Nung Linggo, mas marami na po silang pumunta. Tapos pinukpok daw po nila yung gate namin tapos pinagbabato hanggang sa magiba,” she added.

She said the supposed relatives' were in expensive vehicles when they fetched the 16 victims, leading them to believe that they were agents of the illegal recruiter.

“In the first place, saan sila kukuhan ng resources?” Oebando asked. “They have expensive vehicles.”

The report said the remaining women were transferred to another safehouse while the police investigate the case.

The report said the victims were promised jobs in Saudi Arabia but were instead locked in a basement. They were rescued last March 10 after one of them managed to escape and seek assistance from Parañaque City officials.

The report said the 16 women who left the safehouse may have grown impatient with the supposed slow progress of their case. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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