Four Filipina Human Trafficking Victims Repatriated After Escaping Forced Sex Work in Malaysia

Four Filipina women who were trafficked to Malaysia and coerced into sex work have safely returned to the Philippines after escaping their captors, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Thursday. The victims arrived on October 22, having been deceived with promises of legitimate entertainment jobs but ultimately forced into prostitution.

According to BI reports, the women spent two weeks working in a KTV bar in Labuan before being transferred to Johor Bahru, where they were subjected to forced sexual labor in a VIP spa.

The victims originally left the country via unauthorized "backdoor routes," traveling by small boat from Tawi-Tawi to Malaysia. Authorities discovered their passports contained falsified Philippine departure stamps, confirming the illegitimacy of their exit.

Following their escape, the women traveled to Kuala Lumpur and sought help from the Philippine Embassy. Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado emphasized that their ordeal highlights the harsh realities faced by undocumented Filipino workers abroad.

"These victims are shuffled from place to place and forced to endure exploitative conditions," Viado stated.

The BI has forwarded the names of the suspected traffickers to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the National Bureau of Investigation’s International Airport Investigation Division for further inquiry.