Manila, Philippines – COMMON it was, a house in a quiet neighborhood facing the village’s lone covered basketball court. The wall in front was made of hollow blocks with steel bars pointed to the sky, while its roof was sloped and unremarkable. One wouldn’t even notice this house had it not been for the clothes hanged out to dry in its frontyard. There were just too many of them.

An informant who knew what it was being used for ­ as a den for women and minors recruited from the provinces for illegal deployment overseas ­ gave the Blas F. Ople Center clear instructions on how we could get there. The information was correct, as a rescue mission jointly undertaken by the National Bureau of Investigation’s AntiHuman Trafficking Unit headed by Atty. Dante Bonoan affirmed.

Read more: The Bungalow In Villanueva Village