GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 27 June) – At least 16 individuals from Bohol province, including two minors, were separately rescued in Tawi-Tawi six months after falling victim to an alleged human trafficking scheme, workers from the Ministry of Social Services and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MSSD-BARMM) said Friday.
Jan Michelle Agata, MSSD-BARMM regional focal person on Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons, said the fishermen-victims from Talibon town were reportedly provided a cash advance of P20,000, which they left for their families, to lure them to work in Tawi-Tawi.
“This is debt bondage, which is a form of human trafficking. Since they were not paid for their labor for six months, it turned out that they were the ones who owed their employer,” she said in a phone interview in Filipino.
Their working conditions were oppressive, such as lack of food, and that they were threatened they can’t leave unless they can pay their cash advances, she added.
Agata said the human trafficking victims were kept in Languyan town before some of them escaped or were rescued by authorities from various government line agencies early this month.
In a statement, Jidday Lucman, MSSD-BARMM information officer, said that seven of the trafficked victims escaped from the unidentified employer and were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 7 (DSWD-7) last June 16.
They were intercepted on their way to Pangutaran, Sulu and were immediately provided assistance by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office of Sulu before they were flown to Cebu City for turnover to DSWD-7, she said.
Agata said the rescued human trafficking victims informed the authorities that they still have companions left in Languyan island-municipality, prompting a follow-up operation that led to the rescue of nine other victims.
Headed by Minister Raissa Jajurie, the MSSD, assisted by the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Marines, successfully rescued the nine individuals, she said.
Agata noted the rescued victims were kept in a remote part of Languyan, which “requires at least P50,000 for fuel and other essentials” to reach from Bongao, the capital of Tawi-Tawi.
The second batch of rescued human trafficking victims were flown to Cebu City last June 21 and received by DSWD-7 workers, Agata said.
She said the police filed charges of human trafficking against the unnamed employer and the recruiter of the victims.
Lucman said that all the rescued human trafficking victims have been safely turned over to the Talibon local government unit for psychosocial and livelihood support, and other reintegration services. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
