47 women saved from ‘recruiter’

Elements of the Southern Police District Women and Children’s Concerns Desk rescued 47 women from an illegal recruitment agency allegedly operated by a Japanese national.

SPD director Senior Superintendent Jose Gutierrez Jr. reported that the women were voluntarily released to the SPD through Taguig police chief Superintendent Artemio Bermido.

According to Gutierrez, 18 of the 47 women were minors with ages ranging from 16 to 17 years old. The women were all recruited by the D&C Overseas Placement Agency Inc. located at Compound Number 7, Phivedec Industrial Estate, Veterans Center, Taguig, allegedly owned and financed by a Japanese national.

Lourdes Francisco, general manager of the recruitment agency released the women to Bermido after learning about the campaign of the SPD against illegal recruitment.

One of the women narrated that the agency lured its victims by offering free board and lodging, a weekly allowance of P200 and other luxuries such as a private swimming pool, field trips and ballroom dancing lessons.

However, immediately upon recruitment, they were allegedly injected with contraceptives for unknown reasons and given P50 monthly allowance instead of the promised P200 per week. – Marvin Sy