“Among these numbers, human trafficking victims were dominated by women and some of them were also victims of sexual abuse,” Elopre said during the recent Kapihan na Zamboanga held via online.
She also cautioned the public on the sweet words of recruiters.
“We should not get easily lured by the deceiving words of the recruiters rather consult and check if recruiting agencies are legitimate for us to avoid these abuses,” she added.
The department is now challenged to monitor travelling individuals who use the exit points in the region, particularly in Zamboanga City islands, where human traffickers use as transit points to Malaysia and eventually to Middle East countries.
“We also advised the public to be cautious on online human trafficking because illegal recruiters are now taking advantage and luring victims in social media,” Elopre affirmed.
Just recently, a total of 229 Badjaos, who are natives from Western Mindanao were rescued in Manila from human trafficking and exploitation.
