INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) firm allegedly involved in human trafficking threatened to file charges against the National Capital Region Police Office’s (NCRPO’s) joint task force for detaining 2,714 reported victims in Las Piñas City.
On June 27, the NCRPO reported that it rescued a total of 2,714 individuals – both Filipinos and foreign nationals – in a POGO raid for the alleged violation of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
But in a demand letter sent to the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Immigration, Atty. Ananias Vargas accused NCRPO’s joint task force of prohibiting the rescued individuals it held in custody from leaving the premises of Xinchuang Network Technology Inc. or “Hong Tai Compound” where they were apparently rescued from.
“It is perplexing that you and your so-called Task Force, branded this type of activity as a ‘Rescue Operation’ and then commandeering the entire Hong Tai Compound and transforming it into a prison where none of the alleged victims you are espousing are not free to get out of the Hong Tai Compound without any condition being imposed upon them, and without permission coming from you and your Task Force,” said Vargas who represents Xinchuang Network Technology Inc. He then demanded that all held victims within the vicinity be allowed to leave the compound without any condition. “Otherwise, our client shall be well within their rights to forthwith file the necessary action (Criminal, Administrative and Civil) against you and the entire Task Force before the courts of law and government tribunals,” he added.
Abuses committed
In the same demand letter, Vargas accused officers of the NCRPO task force of physically abusing eight foreign nationals, three of which were Chinese who were “severely injured because of the brutality exhibited towards them.”
Vargas, citing reports, claimed that the task force also questioned the foreign nationals without the assistance of a lawyer.
“Worse, we were informed that your Task Force forced the said foreign nationals to sign a document which they could not even understand. Again, without any assistance of a lawyer of their own choice,” the lawyer said.
PNP brushes off allegations
Despite these complaints and allegations, the Philippine National Police on Saturday maintained that their operations are “legitimate” and were carried out on orders of a competent court.
“The judge issued the warrants after she had personally examined the complainants, and witnesses through a personal searching inquiry. [S]he was convinced by the applicant and the pieces of evidence presented before her. Based on existing laws, no search warrant shall be issued except when there is a probable cause,” said PNP in a statement.
PNP then countered the “abuse allegations” by saying that they ensure the protection of human rights in every operation they conduct.
“As a matter of policy, in every police operation, observance of human rights is paramount. Hence, Human Rights Affairs desks are put up [and] manned by rights affairs officers to ensure that the basic rights of the rescued victims are respected and protected at all times,” PNP furthered.
Data from PNP showed that all Filipinos who were rescued were already granted the right to go home.
Meanwhile, at least 1,284 individuals are still being assisted by their respective embassy officials. PNP said these foreigners include 687 Chinese nationals, 186 Vietnamese, 140 Indonesians, 135 Malaysians, 83 Thais, 18 Taiwanese, 8 Nigerians, 5 Singaporeans, 8 Burmese, 2 Yemenis, 2 Pakistanis, 2 Chad, 1 Ivorian, 1 Tunisian 1 Arab and 1 each from India, Somalia, Sudan, Cameroon, and Iran.