Police and social workers rescued 13 women from an alleged online prostitution ring when they raided the group’s alleged residence and operations base at a condominium in Pasay City on Monday night.
Two alleged cashiers and dispatchers of “Pleasure Massage” were also arrested.
The PNP Women and Children Police Center – Luzon Field Unit (WCPC-LFU) conducted a rescue operation after a cop who pretended to be a customer rescued one victim.
According to Police Lt. Col. Jun Rodrigueza, officer-in-charge of WCPC-LFU, the group uses massage service booked on a website as a front. Instead of at a massage parlor, the victims were taken to a hotel.
Police said the service was at least P4,500 but no massage was taking place.
The “Pleasure Massage” website is no longer accessible.
Last January, the WCPC reported the alleged online prostitution but it was difficult for them to track it down because the group is screening their client.
An alias “Bea” who according to the police acts as a collector of earned money and an alias “Rodel” who was in charge of booking the victims were arrested.
The raiding unit found a blackboard with a list of the names of women and their service.
13 women rescued from online prostitution in Pasay
“Bea” and “Rodel” will face charges of violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
According to Rodrigueza, they continue to gather information from other people who are running a prostitution ring for their next operation.
The 13 victims, who will be transferred to the care of social workers, were subjected to debriefing and counseling.
Last week, seven minors were rescued by the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) in Labason, Zamboanga del Norte from an alleged cyberporn operation.
According to Lt. Col. Christine Tan, OIC of the PNP-WCPC Mindanao Field Unit, the suspects were the grandmother and mother of the children.
They said their modus operandi was to sell the children’s videos to foreigners who make video calls using the messaging app.
For the amount of P2,000 and above, the young victims were used in the cyberporn.
The children rescued were aged 3 to 14.