Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel designated as sea marshals have rescued three victims of trafficking-in-persons (TIP) aboard a passenger vessel while traveling to the province of Tawi-Tawi, the PCG reported Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

The PCG said in a statement that the three TIP victims were rescued around 6:15 a.m. Sunday, September 25, while the vessel was set to arrive the port of Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi.

Upon learning that three alleged TIP victims were aboard the passenger vessel, the PCG said the sea marshals immediately coordinated with the skipper and conducted the profiling of passengers that led to the rescue of the three TIP victims.

The identities of the rescued TIP victims were withheld. They include a 44-year-old woman, a 37-year-old man, and a nine-year-old boy who are from the province of Zamboanga del Sur.

The three TIP victims told the authorities that unknown individuals told them to travel to Malaysia via Tawi-Tawi and an unidentified person will fetch them upon arrival.

The sea marshals and Municipal Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking personnel turned over the three rescued TIP victims to the police in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi for proper investigation, and stress debriefing. (SunStar Zamboanga)