CEBU, Philippines- Thirty-five women, believed to be human-trafficking victims, were rescued from three bars in Boracay Island of Malay, Aklan, according to Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion, Aklan Police chief, adding that one of them was a minor.
The 35 women were working at Zwamppy located at Sitio Lugutan in Barangay Manoc-Manoc; Isla Bora at Sitio Bantud, also in Manoc-Manoc village; and Wave 98 at Sitio Hagdan in Barangay Yapak.
Nacion said most of the girls were recruited from nearby provinces. “They were assured of work as waitresses but they were sexually exploited once they started working in bars,” he said.
The raiding team, in three entrapment operations Thursday evening, also arrested four suspects: Dodie Cawaling, 39, owner of Zwamppy videoke bar; Jack Castro, 42, owner of Isla Bora; and Arlyn Serato, 39, and Remar Legaspi, 27, owner and manager, respectively, of Wave 98.
Police operatives swooped down the three bars after the four suspects received the marked money, which allegedly served as “bar fines.”
The victims were turned over to the custody of the DSWD, while the suspects were charged with cases of violation of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003
The raiding team consisted of operatives of the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center, Aklan Police Provincial Office and the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group, with the help of the Office of the Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk, the MSWDO-Malay and the Provincial Social Welfare Office.