Authorities rescued 51 Chinese women from another prostitution den catering to the rising population of mainland Chinese in Metro Manila, this time, in a yet-to-open apartment building in Parañaque City late on Wednesday.
Police and city officials raided the sex den, which officially was advertised as “Manila Wellness Spa,” on the third floor of Diamond Bay Towers on Roxas Boulevard, Barangay Baclaran, at 11:45 p.m.
Arrested were 13 Chinese (nine men and four women), the alleged maintainers of the place, and 18 male Chinese patrons.
The authorities, including members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO)-Regional Special Operations Unit, also seized P1.8 million in cash, reportedly the earnings of the prostitution ring.
The operation was carried out based on information obtained from the Sept. 4 raid on a Chinese-run sex den in a Makati apartment building, whose customers were Chinese men working in the booming industry of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) in southern Metro Manila.
The prostitution den catered exclusively to Chinese clients, who book appointments on a Chinese social messaging app, according to the NCRPO chief, Police Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.
“A Filipino may only enter the establishment if he is accompanied by a Chinese,” Eleazar said.
Once inside, the customers line up in the receiving area until they choose the women, who were sold from P9,000 to P21,000, depending on the room where they would have sex.
Pink soft lights
The spa has 37 rooms—30 regular-sized and seven for VIPs—bathed in pink and blue soft lights, with complimentary condoms, lubricants and perfumes.
“This is not your usual hotel rooms where you sleep with your partner. This one’s for faster transactions,” Eleazar said. “In fact, the comfort rooms here have no doors, meaning these rented rooms are used for sexual services.”
Quoting seven Filipino women who served as utility workers in the spa, he said that at night, they would clean each room for at least five times.
The business reportedly operates daily from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. and could be extended on weekends.
The Chinese maintainers and patrons were detained at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig.
Antitrafficking act
They would be charged with violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
The rescued Chinese women are to be turned over to the local social and welfare department, pending their return to their home country.
Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez said city hall discovered the racket after their personnel saw Chinese inside the building even if it was yet to be opened.
No permits, license
Olivarez said the 21-story, three-tower Diamond Bay Towers had not yet secured a business permit and certificate of occupancy, which serves as proof that the structure was completed and was suitable for occupation.
Olivarez said the city government would file charges against the building developer, Stanford Resources and Development Corp.
As of August, Diamond Bay Towers was among the projects that had been issued a cease and desist order by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board for having no certificate of registration and license to sell.