A COMPOSITE team from various government agencies has rescued over 1,000 alleged victims of labor trafficking at the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Mabalacat, Pampanga, according to a press briefer by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Of the supposed victims, 129 were Filipinos, while the rest were foreign nationals from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Initial investigation indicated that the victims were recruited as call center agents to entice foreign customers from the United States, Canada, and Europe to invest in cryptocurrency.

The victims, mostly male, were instructed to pretend to be attractive women to lure their victims into investing.

The DOJ revealed that the operation was conducted on May 4, 2023, on the premises of the company, with search warrants issued by regular courts.

The PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) led the operation, securing search warrants for violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act from Branch 81 of the Malolos City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

They were assisted by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the National Task Force Against Trafficking (NTFAT), and the Clark International Airport Task Force Against Trafficking (CIATFAT).

The PNP-ACG, PAOCC, NTFAT, and CIATFAT executed the search warrants in coordination with the PNP-Special Action Force Rapid Deployment Battalion (PNP-SAF), PNP Intelligence Group, PNP Health Service, PNP Regional Civil Security Unit Region 3, the IACAT Operations Center (OpCen), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Mabalacat Police Station.

The DSWD, the Local Government of Mabalacat City, and the IACAT OpCen have been providing meals and other assistance to the victims, and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is coordinating with the different embassies to supplement the assistance and expedite victim repatriation.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of evidence, including a significant volume of devices that are already being examined and processed by PNP-ACG. About a dozen individuals were initially identified as traffickers of the victims, and they were brought, along with several victim-witnesses, to the DOJ Head Office in Ermita, Manila, on May 6, 2023, for the conduct of inquest proceedings.

The identified traffickers were assisted by Public Attorney’s Office-Manila (PAO) and executed a waiver of their rights under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) through the duly certified interpreters from the Chinese and Indonesian Embassy.

The hearing was reset to May 15, 2023, to allow respondents to file their counter-affidavits. They were taken into custody by the PNP-ACG, while the victim-witnesses were turned over to the IACAT OpCen and DSWD to provide shelter, meals, and other necessary assistance.

The DOJ warned the public to be wary of all forms of human trafficking and urged anyone with information that may help rescue or assist victims and investigate perpetrators to contact them through the 1343 Actionline, IACAT Facebook messenger, or email at [email protected].

The DOJ also anticipates further investigation into other parties complicit in the trafficking of the victims who were not present on the site or have yet to be identified as “traffickers.”