11 Pinoy victims of human trafficking rescued

MANILA, Philippines –  Eleven Filipino victims of human trafficking in the United States who were made to endure sub-human and sub-standard working conditions have been rescued.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has offered its assistance in repatriating the 11 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The 11 OFWs were recruited in the Philippines by Adman Human Resources Placement Inc. and were originally brought to Biloxi, Mississippi, where they were made to endure sub-human and sub-standard working conditions.

The OFWs are now in Los Angeles where they are currently under the care of a Filipino-American pastor.

The recruitment license of Adman Human Resources Placement Inc. has since been cancelled by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

The DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs has authorized the release of funds to cover the repatriation costs of the 11 OFWs.

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles continues to extend assistance to the 11 displaced OFWs and is ready to facilitate their repatriation back to the Philippines should they wish to go home.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Washington D.C., have also provided assistance to the OFWs pending the filing of formal charges against the alleged illegal traffickers.

However, the 11 OFWS, the DFA said, had earlier refused assistance from the POLO, the Catholic Charities in Mississippi, and other entities.