ORION, Bataan — Joint elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday rescued 139 victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment from a cruise ship docked in the Port of Orion here.
The victims, who came from various areas in the country, were on board Filipino-owned cruise ship Forever Lucky with 41 crews bound for Micronesia.
Some of the victims were tattoo artists, massage attendants, entertainers, bartenders, food attendants, and “maglilitson” (lechon makers).
“There was a variety of talents to be brought to Micronesia but we found out that they have no proper visa and did not pass the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) although they have passports. We have arrested some officers and staff of Fahrenheit Company Limited that also owns the ship,” Gerald Geralde, head of NBI special task force, said.
“We are recommending cases for human trafficking and illegal recruitment against the officers of Fahrenheit and the captain of the boat,” he added.
Fahrenheit has an office at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
Geralde said the rescued victims will be turned over to the custody of the municipal social welfare and development officer for re-evaluation.
“They have the freedom to choose if just to go home or stay for further validation. Some opted to file complaint against their recruiter and the owner of the boat,” the NBI official said, adding they found no minors among the victims.
Lieutenant Carlos Victor Carlos, PCG Bataan commander, said they discovered that there were other passengers of the ship when they thoroughly inspected the vessel that was applying to sail.
“Since the vessel is not operational, only the crew should be on board but on thorough inspection of the cabin, there were people who should not be there, thus we ordered them to go down the vessel because they are not in the crew list,” Carlos said.
Lito Hernandez, a lechon maker from General Luna, Quezon, had with him nine workers, all from Quezon province.
He said they were contacted to make lechon in Yap Island, Micronesia.
“They said that we will make lechon because the Fahrenheit will cater in the Olympics that will be staged there by the countries in the Pacific Coast,” he said.
According to Hernandez, they submitted their passport, police clearance and medical certificate.
He said he was paid a 70-percent downpayment for 600 heads of pigs at PHP9,500 per lechon.
“The remaining 30 percent payment will be paid back home. We will board the vessel that will return to the Philippines,” Hernandez said, adding that the event in Micronesia will be from July 15 to July 27, 2018.
A woman who is on on-the-job training for a culinary school in Dasmarinas, Cavite, said they were told that their sailing date for Micronesia was June 20, 2018 but they have been in the boat since June 14.
“We were cleaning inside the boat. The promised jobs for us once we docked in Micronesia are housekeeping, food attendant or bartending,” she said.
The Coast Guard said the boat will be held in custody at the port pending submission of required documents and results of investigation. (PNA)
