The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested five individuals in an entrapment operation in Alaminos City, Pangasinan for violation of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in persons Act of 2003, as amended.

The operation was in line with the strict order of NBI Director Jaime Santiago to eradicate human trafficking activities in the country.

NBI Alaminos District Office (NBI-ALDO) arrested Rochelle Cortez, Edmund Lanayog Corpuz, Ramones Jervy Mendoza, Bonifacio Esta and Jexter Cruz Sison.

Santiago said that the office of the NBI-ALDO received information from a non-government organization (NGO) that exists to rescue women and children from human trafficking that Shayawayne Videoke Bar is engaged in prostitution of women, including minors.

A series of surveillance operations conducted by NBI-ALDO confirmed the veracity of the information revealing that Shayawayne is indeed offering women, including minors for sexual services in exchange for a fee.

On 12 December, joint operatives of NBI-ALDO, NBI-DADO and NBI-IRO, together with the representatives from the NGO and PSWDO proceeded to Shayawayne and conducted an entrapment operation, which resulted in the arrest of the suspects, in the act of violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

The operation also resulted in the rescue of 10 trafficked victims, seven of whom were revealed to be minors based on the Dental Aging Examination conducted on them.

The rescued victims were turned over to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in Lingayen for counselling and social protection.