MANILA, Philippines — Suspected traffickers, running up to a dozen, involved in the cyber fraud hub in Pampanga—where more than 1,000 workers were rescued last week—are facing criminal complaints before the Department of Justice, the agency said Monday.
In a statement, the DOJ said the victims rescued by authorities identified “about a dozen individuals” as traffickers.
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“They were brought by the [Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group], along with several victim-witnesses, to the [DOJ] head office in Ermita, Manila on May 6 for the conduct of inquest proceedings,” it said.
The suspected traffickers, through the interpreters from Chinese and Indonesian Embassy, however executed a waiver of rights under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code and have agreed instead to undergo preliminary investigation.
“The hearing was reset to May 15 to allow respondents to file their counter-affidavits,” the DOJ said.
DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano told reporters in a separate message that the suspected traffickers are facing the following complaints:
- Human Trafficking in relation to violation of Anti-Cybercrime law
- Serious Illegal Detention/Kidnapping
- Violation of Immigration Laws
The respondents have since been placed under the custody of the PNP-ACG, while the victim-witnesses were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Operations Center and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“We anticipate there to be further investigation on other parties who are complicit in the trafficking of the victims but were either not present on the site or have yet to be identified as traffickers,” the DOJ added.
Help extended to victims
Last May 4, authorities implemented search warrants at the Clark Sun Valley Hub Corporation in Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Mabalacat Pampanga.
In the said operations, law enforcers rescued more than 1,000 victims. Of them, 129 are Filipinos while the rest are foreign nationals from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Authorities also seized pieces of evidence including “a significant volume of devices that are already being examined and processed by the ACG,” the justice department said.
It added that preliminary evidence indicated that the rescued victims were “recruited as call center agents to entice foreign customers from the United States, Canada, and Europe to invest in cryptocurrency.”
Sen. Grace Poe earlier Monday filed a resolution seeking a legislative probe into the alleged human trafficking and fraud operations in the Pampanga hub.
She said: "There is an urgent need to determine the supposed existence and cease the operations of these 'scam hubs' in the country for the protection of our citizens and foreign nationals that are being victimized by this kind of human trafficking scheme.”
The DSWD, the local government of Mabalacat City and the IACAT have been providing meals and assistance to the victims, while the Bureau of Immigration is processing the foreigner victims. The Department of Foreign Affairs is also coordinating with different embassies for their repatriation, the DOJ said.
The justice department then warned the public to be wary of human trafficking and urged them to report such suspected activities to them through 1343 Actionline, IACAT Facebook messenger or secretariat@iacat.gov.ph to rescue victims and investigate perpetrators.