ZAMBOANGA CITY (November 24) —Police rescued two women believed to be trafficking victims after they arrived at Sanga-Sanga Airport in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, on November 20.
The Philippine National Police–Maritime Group said the women, identified only as “Mary,” 38, from Manila, and “Stelle,” 28, from Cebu, were intercepted following reports that suspected TIP victims were headed to the province. Investigators said the two had been instructed by a handler to go to a specific location upon arrival—an indication they were being controlled.
The women told authorities they were set to be smuggled out of the country through a backdoor route, with a woman known as “Rose,” reportedly in Malaysia, promising them jobs and financing their travel.
Their case reflects current trafficking trends in Mindanao, where recruiters often use flight routes to southern islands before moving victims through unregulated sea crossings. At the same time, authorities are confronting a surge in online sexual exploitation—now the leading form of trafficking in parts of Northern Mindanao and the Davao region.
Anti-trafficking groups say traffickers increasingly mix online recruitment with promises of fast overseas work, preying on women and families facing economic pressures.
The rescued victims have been placed under the care of the Bongao Ministry of Social Services and Development.
