ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/08 March) – Personnel from the Women and Children’s’ Protection Desk and intelligence operatives of the Zamboanga City police office rescued on Monday two victims of illegal recruitment in this city who were bound for Lebanon, a police official disclosed today.
Zamboanga City police director Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo said the victims, Juliejane Cabe and Iara Ann Joy Lucero, were rescued around 5 p.m. Monday at the Zamboanga International Airport.
Cabe and Lucero, both from Iloilo, told WCPD chief Senior Insp. Gemma Luna that they were recruited by a certain Annaliza of Subway Agency in Manila to work as caregivers in Lebanon, De Ocampo said.
The police official said the rescue came after the WCPD received reports that around 20 victims of illegal recruitment were being hidden in a house owned by a certain Julie in Suterville, Barangay San Jose-Gusu, west of this city.
Upon arriving in Suterville the police operatives learned that Julie and her recruits were already at ZIA.
De Ocampo, however, said it was not immediately known if Annaliza and Julie are one and the same person.
Annaliza confiscated Cabe’s and Lucero’s mobile phones noticing the presence of policemen in Suterville, he quoted the victims as having said.
De Ocampo said Cabe and Lucero were made to board a motorized tricycle bound for ZIA and given their plane tickets by Annaliza.
The two women told police they were hired to work as caregivers in Lebanon but were surprised that they had to pass by this city where they would fly to their destination via Malaysia.
De Ocampo said the WCPD and intelligence personnel have been ordered to track down the rest of the victims who were hired as caregivers by Annaliza as well as to arrest the alleged illegal recruiter.
Meanwhile, the WCPD is set to file charges against another alleged illegal recruiter who was taken to the police station by her victims themselves Saturday morning.
The suspect was identified as Delite Cantar, a resident of Barangay San Jose-Cawa-Cawa, who went into hiding after collecting money ranging from P2,000 to P7,000 each from 14 persons whom she hired to work as janitors in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
De Ocampo said Cantar resurfaced after the mother of one of victims told her that she was bringing P2,400 given by other applicants who wanted to meet the alleged illegal recruiter at Campaner Street, downtown.
Unknown to her, the other victims were already waiting when she showed up at their meeting place in Campaner Street.
Delite was detained after she was taken to the police headquarters by the victims, who have lodged a complaint against her, De Ocampo said. (MindaNews)