SWIFT action by lawmen foiled a human trafficking attempt, as they successfully rescued five women in the province of Tawi-Tawi, the police said Friday, September 26, 2025.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Jeseryl Dela Cruz, 1st Special Operations Unit-Maritime Group (1SOU-MG) chief, said the victims were rescued around 12:30 p.m. Friday, September 26, at Sanga-Sanga Airport, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
Before the rescue, Dela Cruz said they have received a report around 8:50 a.m. that a group of women have traveled by plane from Manila to Cotabato, with a connecting flight to Tawi-Tawi.
"The joint team proceeded to Sanga-Sanga Airport and conducted verification and profiling of the suspected victims," Dela Cruz said in his report, after coordination with partner agencies.
He said the women were recruited illegally and promised jobs abroad through a backdoor route in Tawi-Tawi, allegedly with the assurance of high wages in Thailand based on investigation conducted by the Local Committee Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (LCAT-VAWC).
The five rescued women were first brought to the 1SOU-MG headquarters for documentation and were turned over to the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD)-Bongao for appropriate assistance and care.
Dela Cruz said the successful operation demonstrated the strong collaboration of the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group and partner agencies in their ongoing campaign against human trafficking.
The rescue operation was conducted with the support of the other police units and military operatives as well as intelligence personnel. (SunStar Zamboanga)