The affidavits provided by human trafficking victims to the Philippine Embassy in Damascus have led to the arrest of the mastermind believed to be behind the illegal recruitment of Filipinas from Zamboanga to work as undocumented household workers in Syria.
In a statement, the Philippine Embassy said they were informed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Women and Children Protection Center Mindanao Field Unit (WCPC-MFU) on the arrest of Paksatul Anding y Idres, a.k.a. “Hajja Paksa”, “Hadja Idang Paksa” on June 6, 2021.
Hajja Paksa, described as “big fish” in the area, was positively identified through the complaint-affidavits of the trafficking and illegal recruitment victims who were previously under the custody of the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) shelter at the Embassy in Damascus.
When the victims were interviewed by the Embassy personnel and shown the photos of Hajja Paksa, they confirmed that this was the same person engaged in the modus operandi of illegally recruiting and trafficking women from Zamboanga to Syria.
These photos were included in the evidence packets that were hand-carried by the trafficking victims on June 26, 2021 when they were repatriated to the Philippines.
Citing reports from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the Embassy said cases were already filed against Hajja Paksa before the Provincial Prosecutors in Sulu and Zamboanga, as well as in other tribunals in the region.
While in detention, the suspect is also facing multiple cases for violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and the Migrant Workers Act or large-scale illegal recruitment, all non-bailable offenses. She is also the subject of a search warrant for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition.
The victims of Hajja Paksa who were repatriated from Syria are now safe in the quarantine facility and will later be referred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for community reintegration.
Paksa, the Embassy learned, has been operating since 2009, sending victims to Malaysia and other countries with a deployment ban, including in Syria.
During a raid in 2015, around 200 passports were confiscated from the residence of Paksa, including firearms and ammunition.
Philippine Chargé d’affaires to Syria Vida Soraya Verzosa explained that the arrest of the “high-value target” highlights the collaborative effort of the Department of Foreign Affairs and other IACAT member agencies, especially the law enforcement authorities.