By KRISTY INUS, Straits Times, Aug 23, 2017
KOTA KINABALU: They were tempted to Malaysia with promises of jobs as waitresses, but the six Filipinas were instead cooped up in a house in Kampung Peringatan.
Every night, they were taken to entertainment outlets and hotels, where they forced to work as “guest relations officers”, selling their bodies.
Their nightmares came to an end on Tuesday, however, when police raided the house in Jalan Petagas and rescued the women, aged between 20 and 24.
The raid came about following a tip-off, and also saw the arrests of a 47-year-old man and two women aged 25 and 47, who were believed to have been acting as the foreigners’ “agents”.
“These victims arrived in Sabah between 15 days and four months ago, in different batches. Their ‘agents’ handled the transportation costs, including boat rides and land transportation.
“But upon arriving via Sandakan, Semporna and Tawau from Zamboanga, they were brought to the state capital and forced to work as GROs in entertainment outlets and hotels,” said district police chief Assistant Commissioner M. Chandra.
He said police obtained six-day remand orders against the trio who were arrested during the raid, adding that the case was being investigated under sections 12 and 13(e) of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, for trafficking in persons and trafficking in persons for the purpose of exploitation by means of deception, respectively.
Chandra said police seized 10 mobile phones of various brands; cash in United States, Brunei and Singapore currencies; and, a Perodua Alza.
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
“Safety and health at work every day!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations against serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government
(NUG) of Myanmar.
Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
March – Women’s Role in History Month
April – Month of Planet Earth
Weekly Observances:
Last Week of March: Protection and Gender Fair Treatment of the Girl Child Week
Last Week of April – World Immunization Week
Daily Observances:
Mar 25 – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transallantic Slave Trade
Mar 27– Earth Hour
Apr 21 – Civil Service Day
Apr 22 – World Earth Day
Apr 28 – World Day for Safety and Health at Work
