A regional court in Pasay sentenced a Chinese national to life imprisonment and a fine of 2 million pesos for orchestrating the operation of a sex den in Pasay City.
The case involving the exploitation of women occurred during a raid in November 2023 in Metro Manila.
A year ago, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) conducted a raid in a residential area by the seaside in Pasay City, resulting in the conviction of Li Yang (also known as A Yang) for human trafficking. Yang's accomplices, fellow Chinese national Chen Cui and Filipino woman Ede Mae Epal, were acquitted due to reasonable doubt and insufficient evidence, respectively.
The rescue operation was based on reports that Filipino women were being exploited for sex trade inside an apartment building, booked online via the Telegram app.
During a congressional hearing, authorities linked Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), mostly operated by Chinese groups, to sex trafficking and prostitution.
According to the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC), the three were arrested during the raid initially charged with human trafficking. Cui and Epal were later acquitted, while the case against Yang led to his conviction.
Two other Chinese nationals were also found during the raid, but their identities were not confirmed. They were released on the day of the raid.
WCPC head Portia Manalad, in an interview with Rappler, stated that Yang and Cui were identified by complainants seeking help from the PAOCC.
Forensic evidence collected at the scene indicated that Yang, Cui, and Epal were involved in the case. "In human trafficking cases, if our victims fail to identify the perpetrators during the disclosure of abuse, especially because there are no arrest warrants for them, we release these individuals. Even during forensic examination at the scene, their devices or devices at the scene could not identify these two individuals," Manalad said.
"The identities of these two individuals were not confirmed, so they could not be arrested as we had no arrest warrants for them. The information provided by the trafficked victims only identified three individuals, which is why the male suspect was convicted. It appears that the complainant or victims explicitly accused this man (Yang)," Manalad added.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Pasay City ordered the immediate release of Cui and Epal. Ms. Cui was transferred to the immigration bureau for deportation preparations, while Epal will return to Agusan del Sur with her husband on December 28.
Ms. Yang is currently detained at the Pasay City Jail Management Bureau, ineligible for parole.
