Eight Filipino women returned home Thursday night after police authorities found them escaping from a sex den operated by an international white slavery syndicate based in Malaysia.
The women, whose ages ranged from 17 to 22 years, were met at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by evangelist Eddie Villanueva and his wife, Dory. Villanueva heads the Jesus Is Lord (JIL) religious group.
Dory, who spoke on the women’s behalf, said the women escaped from the sex den by jumping from their second-floor room’s window. Malaysian policemen chanced upon the group and were about to arrest them until they explained they were Filipinas and victims of white slavery.
The policemen let them go and the women proceeded to a JIL pastor, who hid them from the syndicate while she told Villanueva about their ordeal. Villanueva instructed the pastor to bring them to a safehouse while he worked for their repatriation.
Villanueva sought the help of Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn for the women’s return to the country. Hagedorn shouldered the plane fare of all eight women from Malaysia to Cebu. From Cebu, Villanueva paid for their plane tickets to Manila. The women wept upon seeing Villanueva at the NAIA.
“Thank you. Our suffering is finished. We are eager to see our families. We wish to thank Bro. Eddie, his wife, Dory, and Mayor Hagedorn for their help,” the women said. They added that they left about 50 other Filipino women in the sex den.
Villanueva asked Philippine National Police chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. to arrest those responsible for bringing the women out of the country illegally.
“ The authorities must apply the full force of the law to have these illegal recruiters punish and jailed,” he said.
A few hours after the women filed a complaint, police officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested Gemma Lucio, who allegedly recruited the women.