Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares said on Thursday, Nov. 21, that authorities rescued 14 women, four of them minors, from two KTV bars offering “extra-services” to their patrons.
Ynares said that prior to the raid, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Rizal District Office received a report regarding human traffickers who are operating two KTV bars in Sitio Cabadang, Barangay San Jose that are offering sexual services or “extra-services” to their customers.
This prompted the NBI and the City Social Welfare Department (CSWD) to launch a simultaneous raid on the bars identified as Aphrodite and Rijo.
The NBI undercover agents, posing as customers, discovered the “extra-service” being offered for P3,500 by the women employees of the KTV bars, including the four minors.
The raiding team immediately arrested the suspects identified as “Joy,” “Akira,” “Aida,” “Ria,” and “Joward” who are now facing charges for violating the Anti-Trafficking Act of 2003 or RA 9208.
“Labing-apat na kababaihan ang atin pong nasagip — kung saan apat doon ay mga menor de edad. Agaran natin silang pinasuri sa ACHS IV – Cabading at nag-undergo ng medico legal at psychological intervention at kasalukuyang nasa kustodiya ng CSWD. Samantala, ang sampung biktima naman ay pinauwi na natin sa kani-kanilang pamilya,” Ynares said.
The mayor added that the city government has filed Notices of Violation (NOV) against the two establishments to prevent them from operating again. (Patrick Garcia)
