RP, Malaysia rescue Filipina from Sabah brothel

DoJ moving to save more

MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine and Malaysian authorities cooperated with each other to rescue an 18-year-old Filipina sold to a Sabah brothel for 15,000 ringgit (around P200,000) last month.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the rescue was undertaken by the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) anti-illegal recruitment task force (AIRTF) and Malaysian authorities.

The victim, a resident of Novaliches, Quezon City, was recruited by her aunt's friend last April 21, supposedly to work as guest relations officer (GRO) at a posh club in Sabah.

That same day, after she signed a contract and the recruited had processed her passport, she was flown to Sabah through the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Pampanga.

On arriving in Sabah, the victim said she was given a day to rest and then forced into prostitution, with male clients paying a man she identified only as "Boss Nick," 3,500 ringgit (almost P50,000) for her services.

The victim said her handler made her take between two to three customers a night, adding that her 20 other companions were not as lucky as they were made to service between five to eight men a night.

She added that the brothel was multi-racial, with Chinese, Thais and Filipinas.

Gonzalez said efforts are now underway to rescue the victim's other companions.

He said he has already ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to hunt down the recruiter.

He also ordered the Bureau of Immigrations (BI) to tighten their watch on all the country's airport to prevent human smuggling.

Gonzalez said he has also ordered the BI attached to the AIRTF to provide the bureau with police powers and enable its operatives to arrest suspected human traffickers and their charges while at the airports.

"It has come to my attention that Filipino women are being recruited by crooked and unscrupulous recruiters, wherein such women end up as prostitutes in brothels in Sabah, Malaysia,” Gonzalez’s order to the BI said.

The usual point of exits for such women are Clark, Pampanga, and Zamboanga. Foregoing considered, your office is directed to strictly implement laws, rules, regulations and procedures relative to departures from the Philippines especially in the above areas to protect our women from prostitution," he said. - Tetch Torres, INQUIRER.net, May 21, 2008