Seven persons involved in the recruitment of women for Singapore who ended up working in a prostitution racket were arrested by operatives of the City of Manila’s Special Mayor’s Reaction Team (SMaRT) during an entrapment operation.
P/Maj Rizalino Ibay Jr., SMaRT head, identified the suspects as Ruben Samonte (general manager), Evelyn Samonte (marketing manager), Agnes Almoguera (clinic staff), Jocelyn Tolentino (staff), Rolando Patiag (clinic staff), Chaz Patiag (marketing staff) and Regino Tolentino (driver).
It was learned that the victims were recruited by APP Worldwide Recruitment Services with offices in Malate, Manila.
The raid came after 20 victims filed a complaint with the SMaRT office.
According to reports, the victims were hired to work as waitresses by APP Worldwide at a bar in Singapore. They were charged thousands of pesos to undergo training and medical examinations at a clinic also owned by the agency.
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However, the applicants discovered the modus of the said agency during a video call interview set up by the company with their soon-to-be boss in Singapore.
“Someone called Manuel told us that if we do not have sex with the customers, we will not earn our salary,” a victim said.
“They require us to drink and get drunk when we are with customers. Howeevr, we don’t drink, and they are forcing us to do it,” a victim added.
When the victims refused the said work, the company hid their passports and threatened to have them blacklisted, so they would no longer be accepted by other agencies.
They were also asked to sign an affidavit indicating APP Worldwide has no liability, so they decided to file complaint with the Office of the Mayor which conducted the raid.
Confiscated from the suspects were the passports owned by the victims and P100 used to pay the notary public.
The suspects will be charged for violation of the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 (withholding of passport), Presidential Decree 28 (illegal recruitment as a crime of economic sabotage) and Article 286 of the Revised Penal code (grave coercion).
