41 women rescued from illegal recruiters; 3 arrested

MANILA, Philippines — At least 41 females, some of them minors, were rescued during a raid on a house in Sta. Cruz, Manila Wednesday morning.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 132 Judge Rommel Baybay, operatives of the Manila Police District‘s intelligence operations unit, led by Chief Inspector Rosalino Ibay Jr., raided Tor Bella’s house on Karapatan street and seized documents to prove that Bella and his family were allegedly engaged in illegal recruitment.

Bella, his daughter Monaliza, and his 23-year-old granddaughter were immediately placed under arrest.

 The victims were discovered in an adjacent building, which Bella called an accommodation house.

 The women told The STAR that they were recruited mostly from Mindanao and offered work as domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia.

 Bella’s TNB employment agency, which was formerly accredited to recruit for local employment but whose papers were revoked, processes the papers of the applicants and brings them to Lim’s Talent Sphere agency, which sends them abroad, Ibay said.

 The suspects were charged with illegal recruitment and serious illegal detention.