A Filipino and a Chinese national were arrested at a KTV bar in Angeles City, Pampanga for alleged sex trafficking, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Friday, Nov. 3.
The NBI identified them as Chinese national Sengmin Kim alias "Song Jin" and Filipino Lakshmi Nayyar who worked as a manager and a cashier, respectively, at the 247 Premium KTV Bar located along Fil-American Friendship Avenue in Angeles City.
They were arrested by operatives of the NBI’s Pampanga District Office (NBI-PAMDO) during an entrapment operation, the NBI said.
After their arrest, they were charged before the Angeles City Prosecutor’s Office with violations of Republic Act (RA) 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364, the Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.
The NBI said NBI-PAMDO conducted the entrapment operation after receiving reports that the KTV bar was “openly advertising the sexual services of its customer care assistants (CCAs).”
“The said KTV Bar allegedly operates as a prostitution hub where female CCAs can be taken out for sex at certain rates ranging from P6,000 for Class B CCAs to P8,000 for Class A CCAs,” it said.
Acting on the said information, “NBI-PAMDO, in coordination with the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the City Prosecutor of Angeles City, hatched the entrapment operation on October 27, 2023.”
“During the operation, Song Jin, manager of the KTV bar, offered to the poseur-customer the sexual services of two (2) female CCAs for P6,000 each, and the payment was received by Lakshmi Nayyar, cashier of the said bar,” the NBI said.