AUTHORITIES have rescued 11 would-be trafficking victims while in transit to Malaysia via the province of Tawi-Tawi, the military said Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) said the would-be victims were rescued aboard a commercial vessel that newly docked at the port of Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi on Friday, January 26.
The NFWM said rescued would-be trafficking victims consisted of two females and nine males the youngest among them is a three-year-old boy and the oldest is a 51-year-old male.
Five of the 11 rescued would-be victims were from Basilan, five from Zamboanga City, and one from Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.
Investigation showed the would-be victims were heading to Sandakan City, Malaysia through the province of Tawi-Tawi without the necessary work and travel documents.
They were hired to work in Malaysia by three people, who they identified only as a certain Faizal, Rahim, and Abs, all residents of Semporna, Malaysia.
The three recruiters were set to fetch the would-be victims in Sandakan City, Malaysia.
Following the rescue, the NFWM said the would-be trafficking-in-person victims were taken to the Maritime Police Assistance Post at Bongao Pier for comprehensive profiling and documentation.
Coordination has been established with the office of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) in Bongao for the proper turnover, counseling, and stress debriefing of the rescued victims.
The would-be victims were rescued by NFWM, through its intelligence operatives, alongside with the other military units, police, Philippine Coast Guard, Local Committees on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children, in coordination with the Municipal Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (MIACAT)-Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
Meanwhile, the NFWM said it remains resolute in combating human trafficking and ensuring the safety and well-being of potential victims, emphasizing the commitment to safeguarding vulnerable individuals from exploitation in the Western Mindanao region.