123 victims of human trafficking rescued

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  â€“ At least 123 human trafficking victims bound for Sabah, Malaysia were rescued by authorities in two separate operations in this city.

The rescue came when personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), police and the Sea-Based Anti-Trafficking Task Force (SBATTF) received reports about 43 persons on two motorboats at the wharf of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Wednesday night.

Philippine Coast Guard station commander Lt. Senior Grade Jomark Angue said the victims were found aboard M/V Lady Mary Joy and M/V Ever Queen Emilia at about 7 p.m.

Angue said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) informed them about workers hired for deep-sea fishing in Tawi-Tawi.

Angue said the victims were three females, two minors and 78 men who came from Bohol and Cebu.

Victims claimed they were hired to work as fishermen in Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi.

Authorities are investigating a possible case of “muro ami,” a destructive fishing method employed on coral reefs using weight fragments to scare fishes.

Earlier that day, at least 40 human trafficking victims bound for Sabah were also rescued by the SBATTF at Sitio Baliwasan Seaside.

Authorities arrested the alleged recruiter of the victims, a certain O’Daniel.

The victims were rescued about 6:30 a.m. aboard M/L Julmina, which was set to leave for Sabah. The victims – who were from Davao and the Zamboanga peninsula – included 31 men, 17 women and 11 children. – Roel Pareño, Evelyn Macairan