18 Pinoys rescued from alleged trafficking attempt in Zambo

Local authorities rescued 18 victims of human trafficking and arrested the couple that recruited them in Zamboanga City this week. The rescue operation was triggered when authorities saw the victims in a compound in Barangay Tetuan, according to a report on Zamboanga Times. The report identified the suspects as Rodolfo and Gloria Pasaylo, who allegedly offered the victims jobs in a palm oil company in Malaysia. Investigation showed the victims arrived in Zamboanga City from Misamis Occidental last Saturday and Sunday in two separate batches. The Zamboanga Times report quoted a source as saying the victims were to take a ferry to Sulu. From there, they were to enter Malaysia as illegal workers. However, the victims are hesitant to file charges against the couple. Under the law, the couple can be released if there are no complaints filed against them in 36 hours. Meanwhile, the victims were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development IX after the investigation. — JE, GMA News