THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has clarified that only two persons – not three as earlier reported have been convicted by the San Carlos City, Pangasinan Regional Trial Court (RTC) of human trafficking in the “mail-order bride” scheme.

In its original press statement, the NBI inadvertently named the third accused in the case – Chinese national Lai Wei Qi – as also convicted by the trial court.

The NBI explained that Qi did not undergo trial as he was in China, and the trial court in the Philippines did not acquire jurisdiction over his person as an accused.

Thus, the NBI said that based on the dispositive portion of the RTC’s decision, those convicted of a violation of Section 4(a) and (b) in relation to Section 10 of Republic Act (RA) No. 9208 (the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 as amended by RA 10364) were only a Filipina and Chinese national Li Chun Rong.

The victim filed a complaint before the NBI-International Airport Division (NBI-IAID) against the three, implicating them in the said scheme.

The complainant lodged the complaint shortly after being repatriated from the People’s Republic of China.

Based on the NBI investigation, sometime in 2017, in Urbiztundo, Pangasinan, Li Chun Rong, and the Filipina suspect recruited the victim to work in China on the condition that she would marry Lai Wei Qi.

After the supposed marriage, the victim was sent to China, where instead of landing a job, she was detained, her passport and visa seized, and “sexually abused”.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Hector Lawas