Nine people, all Filipinos, bound for Malaysia without legal documents were rescued in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
The nine - six women and three men - were rescued from a ferry at Bongao Pier in Barangay Poblacion that would have taken them to Malaysia. They were reportedly offered work there even without proper documents.
“The victims have no legal documents necessary for work thus, making them potential illegal entrants vulnerable to trafficking,” the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) said.
The NFWM added that three people identified as “Abdul”, “Mila”, and “Ahmin” would fetch the nine at specified locations in Malaysia.
The nine were turned over to the Office of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) for counseling and stress debriefing.
