27 rescued, 10 arrested for trafficking in Pasay ops — NBI

Twenty-seven victims were rescued while 10 individuals were arrested for human trafficking in separate operations in Pasay City, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Tuesday.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said that of those rescued, six were minors. Santiago said they have been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Meanwhile, six of those arrested are Chinese while four are Filipinos.

"Napa-inquest na natin sila and they were accordingly charged (They have undergone inquest proceedings and they were accordingly charged)," Santiago said in a press conference.

According to NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Atty. Jeremy Lotoc said this stemmed from two operations within a week.

Lotoc said that the crime involved foreign nationals and their modus was called the "Romeo Method" or the "Loverboy Tactic."

He said their objective was to establish romantic relationships with their victim and then "groom" them.

"'Yung grooming. Nililigawan nila ito and then tine-treat nila specially. And then 'yung isolation. So ina-isolate nila ito sa kanilang friends and families to make the victim dependent doon sa trafficker in terms of financial needs and emotional needs," he said.

(The grooming. They court the individual and treat him or her specially. Then there's the isolation. So they isolate the victim from their friends and families to make them dependent on the trafficker in terms of financial and emotional needs.)

Following this, he said the victims would then be exploited and brought into the sex trade. He said the minors were offered through a messaging app.

In a statement, the NBI said the arrests were the result of operations on Sept. 6 and 7, when agents raided units of a condominium complex in Pasay City. The alleged Chinese ringleader and two companions were nabbed during hot pursuit, the NBI said.

"The operatives also discovered that the group is using various technologies such as social media and online platforms, generative AI, encryption and anonymity tools, and online market place in their illegal sex trade, offering trafficked victims for sexual service, including minors," the statement said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News