By DIANN IVY CALUCIN
Members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) arrested a man and two women for alleged human trafficking and rescued five female victims in two separate entrapment operations in the city on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2.
The operations were conducted by joint forces of the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) and District Women and Children Concern Section (DWCCS).
Lt. Col. Rolando Lorenzo Jr., DSOU chief, identified the first suspect as Wendel Balangatan, 38, a resident of Novaliches, Quezon City.
He was arrested by the police on Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Teachers Village West in the city at around 10:20 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.
According to the police report, the DSOU operatives received a report from a concerned citizen about the suspect’s alleged human trafficking activities which were done through online booking.
DSOU operatives managed to book two ladies for P6,500 each from an unidentified man using an online messaging application.
The police immediately conducted the entrapment operation which resulted in the arrest of the suspect and the rescue of two female victims.
Meanwhile, the same operatives conducted another operation at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Dr. Garcia Sr. Street, in Brgy. Paligsahan, Quezon City at about 1:25 a.m. on Sunday, after receiving a report about human trafficking activities in the area.
The operatives posed as motorists along Quezon Avenue until they reached the corner of Dr. Garcia St. where the suspects offered them young ladies in exchange for P1,000 each.
The police arrested two female suspects and rescued three female victims.
The suspects were identified as Cindy Salen, 47, a resident of Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City, and Florita Vera, 60, a resident of Caloocan City.
The police confiscated two pieces of P500 bill and a cellular phone from the three suspects.
All the suspects will be charged for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9208 or the "Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003" and RA 9262 or the "Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004" before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, police said.
The rescued female victims were brought to Quezon City Social Services Development Department (SSDD) for proper disposition.