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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Hontiveros: BI should bear the brunt of human trafficking abuses done on victims of different races

Hontiveros: BI should bear the brunt of human trafficking abuses done on victims of different races

Published May 8, 2023 06:32 am
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, May 8 said she is pleased to see and hear that the hearings being conducted by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on the various human trafficking and abuses “have been hearing fruit.” Hontiveros, who heads the said panel, made this observation following the recent rescue of 1,090 human trafficking victims in Pampanga. These individuals were Filipinos and citizens from Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Nepal,  Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Myanmar, who were rescued by operatives during a raid at the Clark Sun Valley Hub. The rescued victims, according to police, were forced into working for a fraudulent cyber-enabled industry. They were documented for booking and possible deportation. “I wish to thank the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local authorities in Clark who have not only participated seriously in our hearings but also continue to investigate the 'super-scamming' operations that continue to proliferate locally,” Hontiveros said in a statement. “The scamming network runs as deep and wide as the apparent corruption at our borders. We expect all agencies to be at full throttle to end the massive scamming operations that put our Filipinos and fellow Asians in danger,” she pointed out. If these scam networks are using the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) as a legal cover, then the government should put a stop to this industry, the lawmaker stressed. “We… need to blow the lid off that. We cannot tolerate such abuses and twisting of the law,” she said. “Over the years, since we exposed the ‘pastillas’ scam, we have sounded out on BI (Bureau of Immigration) reformation, but we have yet to see the results of any improvements done,” she lamented. “Dapat dalhin ng Bureau of Immigration ang buong bigat ng patong-patong na panloloko, human trafficking, at labor abuses sa iba't ibang nasyonalidad (The BI should shoulder the heavy weight of the many fraudulent, human trafficking, and labor abuses on the different nationalities),” she stressed.

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POGOs human traffickers Risa Hontiveros PNP
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