2 Pinay human trafficking victims rescued in Sabah

Two underage Filipinas recruited by a Bulacan-based slavery ring were rescued following an operation by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) in Sabah on Wednesday.

According to the PAOCC, the two were victims of a syndicate known for recruiting women in Bulacan to work as waitresses in Malaysia.

The recruits are smuggled into Malaysia via the Manila-Zamboanga-Bongao, Tawi-Tawi-Sandakan, Malaysia route. In Malaysia, they are locked in a room and either forced to work as prostitutes in local brothels or sold as slaves.

Police arrested Angelita Bayonito, Sharmaine Rotoni, and Edison delos Reyes as suspects in an operation in Meycauayan, Bulacan, on Wednesday.

Aileen Samonte and Aldo Yutingco Tiu were also identified as suspects and arrested at a mall in Marilao town during a follow-up operation. They were, however, released later after investigators found out they have no participation in the illegal activity

"The remaining three suspects are now facing charges for human trafficking and illegal recruitment," the PAOCC said in a statement.

The two minors were brought to the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila to give their statements on the mode of recruitment used on them. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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