2 suspected human traffickers nabbed in Pampanga

Two women were recently arrested at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Pampanga for alleged human trafficking activities. In a statement, Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said the two were arrested while escorting six Malaysia-bound undocumented Filipina workers at the DMIA departure area on October 30. The suspects were identified as Ernida Serrano, a resident of Quezon City, and Juliana Mercene from Tondo, Manila. According to Ledesma, the suspects and their six victims were about to board an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur when they were offloaded. Lawyer Carlos Capulong, DMIA-BI head supervisor, said the six Filipinas were prevented from leaving after it was discovered that the company identification cards they presented were fake. Capulong said the victims then executed affidavits identifying Serrano as the one who facilitated their trip and gave them the fake IDs. They also alleged that Serrano and Mercene were supposed to accompany them to Kuala Lumpur where they were promised jobs as salesclerks and waitresses. “They claimed that they each gave Ms. Serrano between P10,000 and P30,000 to process their travel and work documents," Capulong said. Serrano and Mercene were charged with violating Republic Act (RA) 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act before the prosecutor’s office in Angeles City, and were turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation. On October 22, a suspected human trafficker was arrested by immigration authorities also at the DMIA while while escorting six undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for Lebanon, where there is an existing deployment ban. The suspect, identified as Marsha Mendoza and a resident of Angeles City, was about to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Hong Kong with the six female OFWs when she was apprehended, according to the BI. R.A. 9208 states that acts of human trafficking are punishable by imprisonment of up to 20 years and fines of up to P2 million. - Jerrie M. Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV