Three alleged kidney traffickers were arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in an operation in Bulacan province.

NBI Director Judge Jaime B. Santiago said a complaint was received by the NBI National Capital Region office regarding individuals engaged in kidney organ trafficking.

The suspects allegedly recruited victims and facilitated the transfer of their kidneys to clients for a fee.

The traffickers, the NBI chief said, are exploiting the economic vulnerability of the victims, offering P200,000 in exchange for a kidney.

After receiving a down payment, victims were transferred to a house in Barangay Tungkong Mangga, SJDM, Bulacan, where they were held while undergoing various medical procedures until their kidneys were harvested.

Acting on the information, NCR operatives, together with social workers from the SJDM City Social Welfare and Development Office, conducted a rescue operation on 11 July 2024.

9 victims rescued

The operation resulted in the rescue of nine victims and the arrest of Angela Atayde, Marichu Lomibao and Daniel Sicat.

The victims identified the three as the facilitators of the kidney transfers. According to the victims, Atayde, Lomibao, and Sicat maintained and harbored them for the purpose of organ trafficking.

The traffickers, the NBI chief said, are exploiting the economic vulnerability of the victims, offering P200,000 in exchange for a kidney.

The NBI averred that Allan Ligaya, the leader of the group and a head nurse at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), is still at large.

The nine rescued victims were turned over to the custody of the SJDM City Social Welfare and Development Office.

The arrested suspects were presented for inquest proceedings for violation of Section 4 (h) of RA 11862 (Expanded Anti-Human Trafficking Act).

According to a 2020 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Philippines is one of several countries identified as hotspots for organ trafficking, largely due to poverty and lax enforcement of anti-trafficking laws.

Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 10 percent of all organ transplants involve illegally trafficked organs.

Countries like India, Pakistan, and Egypt have also been noted for high levels of organ trafficking. In many cases, victims are lured with promises of substantial payments but often receive far less, if anything, after the procedures.