Pasay condo ‘sex den’ raid rescues 15 Filipinos

PASAY CITY, Philippines – Law enforcers rescued 15 Filipino women and arrested three Chinese nationals during a midnight raid on a suspected sex den in Pasay City on Saturday, November 25.

Dozens of agents raided eight units in three towers of Shore Residences at the popular Mall of Asia area during an entrapment operation by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ IACAT), the Bureau of Immigration, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center, and the PNP Intelligence Group.

The PAOCC turned over the three Chinese and one Filipino suspects and the rescued women to the PNP WCPC. The suspects will face complaints for alleged violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, said PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz.

Authorities also held for questioning two other Filipinos, a driver and a delivery man.

Cruz said they launched the rescue operation after receiving reports of around 48 Filipino women engaged in the sex trade at the condominium complex.

The complex management allows unit owners to rent out their properties. Various global apps facilitating hotel bookings also include the complex in their listings.

The DOJ IACAT said the raid was based on a warrant to seize, search, and examine computer data issued by the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 109 Judge Christian Castaneda.

Rappler has reached out to the management of the complex. We will update the story once they provide a statement.

Authorities raided eight rooms in Towers A, B, and C. 

The raiding teams arrested two male and one female Chinese nationals in a sixth-floor unit serving as the operations hub in Tower A.

They found seven Filipino women in Tower B on the 17th floor. Nine other Filipino women, including the Filipino suspect, alias Miya, were in three units of Tower C.

The three Tower C units were being used as residences of the trafficked women, the PAOCC said.

They also entered three other Tower C units on the 10th, 11th, and 12th floors. While these were allegedly assigned for sex activities, authorities found