2 Cebu City girls rescued from working as GRO in Pampanga bar

MANILA, Philippines — Four girls, including a minor, were rescued by the National Bureau of Investigation from being forced to work as guest relations officer in a bar in Pampanga.

The recruiter, who was arrested and charged with human trafficking, was identified in the NBI report as Herminigilda Hermosa Mañalac, 49, of Habilan, Floridablanca, Pampanga.

Agents of the NBI Central Luzon Regional Office (CELRO) National Capital Region (NCR) acted on an intervention request in Cebu from the International Justice Mission (IJM), a non-government organization handling cases involving human trafficking and sexual exploitation, about two sisters who were enticed to work in Pampanga.

The two were recruited by a certain Jacklyn in Cebu City and were turned over to Mañalac in Pampanga.

When told that they were to work as GROs at Princess Refreshment, the girls refused but they were padlocked in a room and a guard was posted outside.

One of the sisters was able to contact her mother through her cell phone and asked to be rescued.

The mother in turn sought the help of IJM which referred the matter to the NBI earlier this week.

NBI operatives together with some social workers conducted a rescue operation, leading to Mañalac’s arrest and the rescue of two other workers.

The victims were turned over to DSWD for debriefing and counseling in preparation to their eventual return to their province.