Gov’t going hard vs sex traffickers

A Department of Justice official has called for an intensified campaign against child trafficking in light of the recent discovery of scam hubs operating not only in Metro Manila but also in nearby areas.

"It appears that in Metro Manila, these scam hubs are operations of crime syndicates," DoJ Undersecretary Mico Clavano said. "While we have made some progress, we need to intensify our efforts to protect exploited minors."

Clavano made the remark after 15 women, including five suspected minors, were rescued from an alleged prostitution den for POGO workers in Pasay City.

The raid on the condominium complex took place between Friday evening and Saturday early morning.

The victims initially claimed to be adults, but a medical examination conducted by the Philippine National Police revealed that five of them had not yet developed their wisdom teeth.

The eruption of wisdom teeth is an indication of age, as they typically emerge between the ages of 17 and 18. Authorities said the medical and dental examinations supported their initial assessment that some of the rescued individuals were minors.

The victims, according to police, used fake IDs with false names and ages to find clients through online messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp.

An investigation revealed that the operation has been ongoing since 2016 and catered primarily to illegal Chinese POGO workers, with no Filipino clients.

The investigation also found that there are 8 to 10 prostitution dens operating within the condominium complex. Authorities are urging the property management office of the condominium to take action to address this issue.