VP NOLI URGES MALAYSIA TO HELP RP FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, PROSTITUTION
February 12, 2009

Vice President Noli ‘Kabayan’ De Castro is urging the Malaysian government to help the Philippines in its continuing fight against human trafficking and prostitution.

De Castro, who chairs the Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (TFAIR), made the appeal following reports that Filipino women are still being illegally deployed to Malaysia to work as prostitutes.

According to De Castro, he is inclined to forge cooperation with Malaysian authorities for a possible immediate solution to the matter.

“I believe that the Malaysian government and its people would be more than willing to help us in our campaign against human trafficking and prostitution. These serious global concerns can be resolved easier through the collaborate effort of the two affected countries Malaysia and the Philippines,” De Castro said.

“Although both are considered serious global concerns, they can be resolved easier by two affected neighboring countries like Malaysia and the Philippines,” he added.

Intelligence reports from the TFAIR revealed several Malaysians are facilitating the deployment of local sex workers to Malaysia by providing them spurious travel documents, temporary shelters as well as funds until they start working.

Proof to this is the recent off-loading of five Filipinas from a Kuala Lumpur-bound plane at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga by officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) last February 9.

Immigration authorities said they intercepted the travelers even before they can depart for Kuala Lumpur with fake travel documents.

TFAIR operations senior superintendent Gilbert Sosa identified the passengers as Ruby Rose Osorio Arcia, 24 yrs old, Joselle Laron Vitan, 21, Florie Lyn Conorado Espiritu, 24, Renelie Osorio Intalan, 20, and Jenny Bernabe Lucas, 24. All of them are from Pasig City, the TFAIR said.

Sosa said upon interrogation, Arcia confessed to TFAIR that they are going to be fetched and accommodated by Balasubramaniam A/L Panirsalvam and Suresh A/L Armogam when they arrive in Kuala Lumpur.

Panirasalvam and Armogam, with residences at 717 Block B Prima Selayang 68100, Batu Caves Selangor, and No. 8 Jalan 25 Taman, Kota, Palo 86600, Palo, Johor respectively, are said to be working for a Deli France Bake Shop in Kuala Lumpur .

It was learned that the two Malaysian nationals offered the five Pasig residents jobs at the mentioned Deli France bake shop. However, Sosa said the ‘real deal’ was for the Filipinas to work as prostitutes in Kuala Lumpur.

De Castro said many Filipinas end up languishing in jails abroad for working without genuine papers. Worse and at many instances, they fall prey to ruthless syndicates who take advantage of their status as illegal aliens and subject them to maltreatment and other forms of abuse.

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