The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued 19 people at the Port of Bongao in Tawi-Tawi who were reportedly on their way to work abroad even without proper papers.

The PCG considered them victims of trafficking in persons (TIP).

PCG sea marshals were inspecting a RoRo vessel when they noticed a group of passengers talking about their alleged travel to Malaysia, prompting the PCG and the police to perform “comprehensive scanning.”

The passengers were brought to the Maritime Police Station for investigation.

The Municipal Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking (MIACAT) said the passengers admitted they intended to travel to Sabah, Malaysia to work even without proper documents.

The 19 underwent counseling and stress debriefing, and were brought to the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) for further assistance.