The National Capital Region Police Office on Saturday arrested the owner of a massage spa which allegedly offers “all the way sex” services to its customers and saved two of its employees in an entrapment and rescue operation in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
Police Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO director, identified the suspect as Shiela May Genove, 22, a native of Candelaria, Quezon and stay-in owner at Lavender Zen Spa in Bacood, Sta. Mesa.
Police rescued two on-duty spa employees identified as alias “Ara,” 19, and alias “Mina,” 27.
Genove was arrested inside the spa around 7:30 p.m. by operatives of the NCRPO-Regional Special Operations Unit in coordination with the Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Desk, NCRPO-Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, and Manila Police District Station 8.
Eleazar said the operation was hatched when the police received a tip from a confidential informant regarding the alleged sexual services being offered in the spa.
Weeks of casing and surveillance operations followed, which, according to Eleazar, “resulted to a positive validation.”
Eleazar said two undercover agents acted as customers at the spa and availed themselves of the extra services. After the payment was handed to Genove, police alerted backup team which then entered the spa and effected the arrest of the owner.
“The modus operandi of Genove is to offer an extra service or ‘all the way sex’ other than the massage,” Eleazar said.
The NCRPO chief added that Genove personally transacts with customers. Genove allegedly shows pictures of female employees she called “therapists on call with extra service” to her clients.
Ara and Mina revealed that they are being paid P5,000 for the extra services aside from the regular pay for the massage. Genove will receive a P1,000 tip from her clients for every “successful transaction.”
“Further, the victims were required to attend to their work otherwise they will be charged R500 for their absence,” Eleazar noted.
The rescued employees told the police that they only agreed to Genove’s terms because they needed money for their families.
Genove and the rescued victims were brought to the RSOU office in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City for proper disposition.
Genove is facing charges for violating the Republic Act 10364 or The Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012. (Martin A. Sadongdong)