A woman tagged as one of the most wanted in Bulacan was arrested outside a church in Barangay Wawa, Balagtas, on Black Saturday, April 19, for allegedly recruiting Filipino women under false pretenses and forcing them into prostitution in Malaysia.
Police Major Mark Vincent Centinaje of the Balagtas Police said the suspect had been evading arrest and was finally captured after reports that she recruited women to work as servers in Malaysia—only to force them into sex work without proper documentation.
“During the process, wala pong babayaran ang ating mga victim sa processing. At the same time, babanggitin po na wala po silang gagawin kundi maging server or mga waitress lamang po sa restaurant or sa mga bar po sa Malaysia,” Centinaje explained in an interview with GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend.”
He added, “Bukod po sa wala silang working visa, ang mga biktima po natin ay ginagawang prostitutes.”
Authorities said the trafficking route started in Bulacan, with the victims flown to Palawan through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). From there, the women were transported by van to Brooke’s Point and later taken via speedboat to Balabac, where they would be transferred to Kudat, Malaysia.
“Hinuhuli po sila ngayon sa mga pinagtratrabahuan nilang bar dahil wala pong kaukulang papeles,” Centinaje said.
The police urged the public to be extra cautious. “Sana po maging masyado po tayong vigilant sa nakakausap at pinagkakatiwalaan po natin,” he added.
Meanwhile, the arrested woman denied the accusations, claiming, “Nadamay lang po talaga ako diyan.”
