18 women rescued in Zamboanga City hotels were promised overseas jobs

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Eighteen women, most of them from Luzon, were separately rescued from two hotels here on Sunday night.

Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, the city police director, said police first rescued 14 females who came from Bicol, Nueva Ecija, Manila, Negros Occidental and Bacolod, and were believed to be victims of human trafficking.

The 14 women were rescued inside the Hermosa Hotel on Mayor Jaldon Street here at 6 p.m.. They were immediately brought to the Haven, a home for women manned by the social workers.

“These women are victims of human trafficking. According to these women, the recruiters from Manila promised them jobs abroad. However passing through the backdoor indicates that the recruitment is illegal,” Casimiro said.

Four other women were rescued from the Medio Hotel here at around 9 p.m. Sunday. The women came from Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur.

The women from Dumingag were reportedly recruited to work abroad by a certain Bryan, allegedly a man from Metro Manila.

The four victims were turned over to the Bahay Silungan Visayan Forum.