AGENTS of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Monday raided a factory in Sucat, Parañaque City where workers undergo “forced labor” to pay for their debts, PNP-CIDG director Chief Supt. Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr. announced yesterday.

Pagdilao said the 9:30 p.m. raid at the compound of Ultra Design Manufacturing Company (UDEMCO) located at 8528 Juanita de Leon Street, San Dionisio, Sucat, resulted in the rescue of a 16-year-old girl who was believed to be among the workers compelled to do ‘forced labor’ to settle their debts from the company owned by Filipino-Chinese businessman Rodolfo Chua Sing and his wife Amanda Chua Sing.

The girl from Davao del Sur identified only as “Arlyn” was found inside the factory engaged in the manufacture of hospital equipment and wheelchairs by members of the CIDG Anti-Transnational Crime Division headed by Senior Supt. Gilbert C. Sosa.

Sosa said they arrested Rodolfo Chua Sing, 67, for violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. He added that they will also file similar charges against Chua Sing’s wife Amanda, one Jerry de la Cruz, the man who was believed to have recruited the teenager from Bukidnon province and his contact, Ermilinda Borromeo, the owner of the MRB Employment Service based in Caloocan City.

All three are still being hunted as of press time.

Sosa said the rescue operation stemmed from the complaints lodged by five former UDEMCO employees, two of them identified as Joey Cortez and Russel Limit.

He said the five complained that they experienced verbal and physical abuses from the UDEMCO owners who locked them up and forced them to work for payment of their involuntary debts.

Sosa said debt bondage falls under qualified human trafficking, a non-bailable offense.

Investigation disclosed that the victims, along with the others, were being locked up in one of the workers’ quarters inside the UDEMCO compound. Cortez and Limit were released only by the UDEMCO owner after working out for the debts they have incurred.

Sosa said all victims, including the minor, were recruited from Don Carlos, Bukidnon by Dela Cruz. The recruiter promised them good employment in Manila, that includes free meal and accommodation, and made them sign a document showing only the P3 thousand monthly salaries with no other benefits disclosed. He said that de la Cruz was tagged as the one who brought the victims to UDEMCO.

Sosa said that at day-one at work, the complainants charged that Amanda Chua Sing confiscated their cellular phones and money. The woman also verbally and physically abused some of the workers whom she thought were doing lousy work, he added.

The victims told CIDG investigators that they began working at UDEMCO last January 18 for 12-hours daily. The complainants said that at the end of the month, the UDEMCO owners did not pay them for reason that they have to deduct their P4,700 debts from their salaries.

Sosa said the victims tried to resign from their work but the owner did not allow them to do so until they have paid all the debts they have accumulated at work. The factory owner also locked-up the workers in their room to prevent them from escaping.

After some of the victims managed to pay their debts incurred and were released by the company owners, they immediately sought the assistance of the CIDG.