10 victims rescued in Quezon online prostitution dens raid

MANILA - Police authorities rescued 10 victims, including five minors, from two alleged online prostitution dens in Quezon province. In a statement Tuesday, Philippine National Police Anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) chief Maj. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga said the operations were carried out on Oct. 12, after operatives of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) 4-A (Calabarzon) secured two warrants to search, seize, and examine computer data, from the Calamba City, Laguna Regional Trial Court. ACG operatives first swooped down on a house in Tayabas City, where they arrested five suspects and rescued four victims - two adult men and two minor girls. A succeeding operation was carried out in another house operated by the suspects in Lucena City, where six more victims were rescued - three adult men and three minor boys. These operations stemmed from information that the suspects were operating online prostitution dens in the two houses. This was later confirmed by the RACU 4-A through cyber patrolling, sur veillance, and online investigations. Cariaga said based on evidence gathered during the operation, the prostitution dens cater to foreign customers. He said the website system used by the suspects was designed to automatically decline log-in attempts from Philippine credit cards. Cariaga said the suspects are facing charges for violation of Section 4 (a and e) and Section 6 (a) (c) (o) of Republic Act (RA) 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003), as amended by RA 10364 and further amended by RA 11862, in relation to Section 6 of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012). Source: Philippines News Agency