OPERATIVES of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested two Chinese and three Filipinos for qualified trafficking and rescued 10 victims in Sual, Pangasinan.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the bureau’s Cybercrime Division and Special Task Force carried out the operation on May 1 that led to the arrest of the five as part of the agency’s intensified drive against human trafficking.
Santiago identified the two Chinese as Zhonggang Qui and Wenwen Qui, while the three Filipinos were Angielyn Rmairez, Marichelle Ambrosio and Jay Amor.
The five were presented to the media and other NBI officials yesterday.
“The arrested individuals have been charged with qualified trafficking under Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. They also face charges for violating Republic Act 9231 or an Act Providing for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, Republic Act 8550 or the Fisheries Code of the Philippines, and Republic Act 12022 for Economic Sabotage,” Santiago said.
He added that the operation stemmed from an intelligence report regarding a Chinese identified as Hou Shilian, who was allegedly employing minors and harboring undocumented foreigners in his compound in Barangay Baquioen, Sual.
After a surveillance confirmed the veracity of the information, Santiago said NBI agents, together with representatives from the local social welfare office, proceeded to the target compound.
The operation resulted not only in the arrest of the five but also the rescue of 10 victims who were working or residing within the compound.
The NBI chief said several of them told the operatives that they were mostly from Northern Samar and were “subjected to forced labor, debt bondage, and threats.”
“They were also engaged in hazardous labor, including hauling fish feed and tending to offshore fish cages in Lingayen Gulf,” Santiago said, adding the fish pens were mostly owned by Chinese.
Two of the rescued minors were also discovered to be pregnant by their live-in partners, who are 23 and 22 years old, respectively.
