THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Central Visayas uncovered a large-scale sex tourism syndicate in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City.
Last Friday, NBI 7 agents arrested nine South Korean nationals inside a hotel around 1:30 a.m. for allegedly "renting" the services of the syndicate, which promised to provide them with prostitutes for a fee.
"The syndicate hired the rescued women as escorts and sexual partners of these Koreans. They operate a sex package tour where they entice Korean tourists that by the time they arrive in Cebu, they already have these partners," Special Agent Arnel Pura said.
The rescue operation stemmed from information that Korean nationals are promoting and advertising sex tourism tours on many websites to Korean males who plan to take a vacation in Cebu.
The package costs P250,000 per person.
Pura said the package includes pictures of Filipinas available for pre-selection of the clients/tourists, who wish to use them as sex partners and escorts.
Transactions like payments, tickets, arrival/departures, accommodation, tourist spots to be visited are also coursed through the website.
But Pura said that it was hard to crack down on the websites.
"You have to enroll and the syndicate will screen you to make sure that you're a Korean national. It was exclusively offered to their fellow Koreans," Pura said.
The NBI 7 informed the Korean consulate about the arrest of their citizens and also coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration.
Prior to the rescue, agents conducted surveillance and discovered that of the 10 females staying with the group, four were suspected of being minors.
Accompanied by members of the Provincial Women Commission, authorities rescued seven trafficked females at the Rendezvous Hotel.
The women, aged 19 to 21, admitted that they were recruited by a certain Maribeth Bontog to serve as sex partners for a fee of P2,000 per day.
"There was sexual consummation on their part. They were not really prostitutes, just financially-deprived to accept offers like these," Pura said.
Arrested were Jongnam Ham, Jong In Han, Munsu Lee, Hosik Park, Joontae Kim, Jae Gyu Kim and Dongkil Kim.
No charges have been filed against Namgyun Shin and Byeonghae Park because their Filipino partners had gone home before the operation.
Pura said that they've already identified the major players of the syndicate in Cebu, but they're still at large.
They will be charged with large-scale syndicated human trafficking under Section 4 (a) and (d) of Republic Act (RA), while the seven arrested Koreans will be charged with violating Section 13 of RA 10364 for use of traffic persons before the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor's Office
The members of the syndicate will face life imprisonment, while the arrested Koreans will face six to 12 years in prison if proven guilty.