Add this to the continuous flood of reports about drug-related killings and you get yourself a very bad picture of the Philippines. What the hell happened? We thought there was supposed to be more fun (the clean kind) around here?
On Wed night, Aug 10, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents raided a a condominium unit along Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. The unit had reportedly served as the headquarters of a prostitution ring.
Five alleged members of the prostitution ring were arrested at the condo unit.
“The suspects are accused of pimping out women, among them minors, to foreigners in hotels and casinos around Metro Manila, with transactions done on social media. They face charges for violation of the Anti Trafficking in Persons Act,” reports Ghio Ong in The Philippine Star.
The report also revealed that among the 11 trafficked women rescued was a 16-year-old girl.
Special investigator Anna Labao of the NBI’s Death Investigation Division said that the rescued women and girls came from different provinces and were lured into coming to Metro Manila by pimps who promised them “modeling jobs.”
However, once the women and girls were in Manila, they were forced into prostitution. They were pimped out to foreigners in hotels and casinos for PHP15,000 (around US$321) to PHP25,000 (around US$534) per transaction.
The women’s family members were unaware that they had ended up in prostitution as they were not allowed to use cellphones or go out on their own.
Labao added that some of the women and girls were made to undergo cosmetic surgery or enhancement so they could fetch higher prices.
Moreover, the NBI said it found four vehicles — all with license plate number 8, issued only to congressmen — that were allegedly owned by the sex den operators.
These sex den operators are reportedly the bosses of the five arrested pimps. They were not at the condo unit during the raid.
“The vehicles include a Jaguar, a Ford Expedition, a Hyundai Starex, and a Toyota Avanza,” reports Aie Balagtas See in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
As the manhunt continues for the operators, the NBI has withheld their identities and other details.
Labao, who presented the five suspects to the media on Thu, Aug 11, declined to comment when asked if indeed the sex den was run by a congressman.
