THIRTEEN foreigners were hurt yesterday after a commotion at a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) firm in Las Piñas City where the foreign workers and more than 2,000 other victims of human trafficking were rescued by the police last Tuesday.
The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) said several policemen from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also sustained “slight injuries” during the incident, which occurred at around 3:15 a.m. at Xinchuang Network Technology Inc.
The POGO firm was raided by operatives of ACG and other police units last Tuesday on charges of human trafficking. The four Chinese owners of the firm were not in the area at the time of the raid.
Operatives rescued 2,724 victims of human trafficking, composed of 1,534 Filipinos and 1,190 foreigners, which included 604 Chinese nationals.
In a report, the ACG said the commotion occurred while the release of the rescued Filipino victims were being processed, in coordination with representatives from the Public Attorneys Office (PAO).
“During the process, (the) foreign national victims had felt envious, shouted and rushed to the gate (Gate 1 along JP Laurel Street) attempting to escape the compound, thus a commotion started,” the report said.
It said RFMB personnel responded to pacify the 48 foreign nationals involved.
“Some of the said foreign nationals also attempted to jump over the back portion of the compound which is a high fence and protected with electric barbed wires. The said security setup of the compound resulted to the injuries sustained by the foreign nationals,” the report added.
Of the 48 foreigners involved, “eight needs medical attention, while five received minor injuries and 35 were unharmed.”
The hurt foreigners were initially treated by a medical team from the barangay and later brought to an undisclosed hospital.
“Some RMFB personnel sustained slight physical injuries and were given proper medical treatment,” the ACG also said.
The ACG said an investigation is underway “to determine the cause and instigator of the commotion.”
