By Anthony S. Allada
THREE persons were arrested for illegally recruiting 73 women, including nine minors, who were rescued by authorities in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur last Tuesday morning.
The suspects, Nora Dipatuan Malagyan, Miguel Salvador and Aslea Melo, are detained at the Prosperidad municipal police station in Patin-ay, Prosperidad.
The victims, mostly from Maguindanao and Cotabato City, were brought Friday night to the office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 11 for turn-over to their respective towns.
“I had to leave Cotabato City early Saturday morning to facilitate their rescues,” Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema said in an interview.
The staff of North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza had earlier informed Sema’s son, Army Lt. Nasrula Sema, about the fate of the victims since many of the victims are her constituents.
The governor immediately fetched her constituents Friday night.
As of Saturday afternoon, the rest of the victims had already been returned home aboard three passenger vans through the efforts of Sema, the provincial social welfare and development office of Maguindanao, and Rep. Bai Sandra Sema of the province’s second district.
Marites Nuñez, project coordinator of non-government organization, Justice, Peace and Integrity for Creation — Integrated Development Center Inc. (JPIC-IDC), based in Agusan del Sur, said that after learning of the incident they immediately took the initiative to source out funds to provide food and personal belongings, including white t-shirts for the victims.
Nuñez said the victims left Cotabato City Monday afternoon on the promise of decent jobs in Kuwait and that their documents were to be processed in Butuan City.
However, curious elements of the Highway Patrol Group 13 intercepted the three passenger jeepneys Tuesday morning upon reaching Barangay Sta. Maria, Prosperidad because they looked suspicious as the jampacked vehicles contained only women. Upon investigation the police concluded that it was a case of human trafficking, with women most likely ending up as sex workers.
