MANILA, Philippines — Authorities over the weekend rescued 17 Malaysian nationals who had reportedly complained of poor working conditions at their job site in Kawit, Cavite, the Philippine National Police said.
In a release, the PNP said the Malaysians were rescued in a joint operation with the Royal Malaysian Police on Klaire One Corp., which classifies itself as a property company on its Facebook page.
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"The Philippine National Police remains steadfast in our duty to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of every individual within our jurisdiction, including foreign nationals," Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., PNP chief, said in the release.
"We will continue to work closely with our foreign counterparts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone within our borders," he also said.
The 17 Malaysians were turned over to Superintendent Norazman Hassan Basari of the Malaysian police on Saturday morning.
According to the PNP, the 17 Malaysians had sought help because of the poor working conditions at Klaire One Corp. and had indicated that they wanted to resign from the company.
The PNP did not say whether the rescued workers had permits to work in the Philippines or how they ended up at Klaire One Corp. Listings on the Klaire One Corp. Facebook page indicated vacancies for hotel room attendants and front desk clerks.
Earlier this month, the PNP also rescued more than 1,000 foreigners who had been brought to the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Mabalacat, Pampanga to work as call center agents promoting cryptocurrency investments.
According to news reports, the trafficking victims were treated like prisoners and worked 18 hours a day.
A separate raid in Parañaque City led to the rescue of 43 foreigners who had also been working in similar conditions.