Ilonggo victims of human trafficking rescued from a palm plantation in Malaysia

ILOILO CITY, July 5 (PNA) - Thirteen Ilonggos were rescued from a palm oil plantation in Malaysia after they were duped by a province-mate who promised them good-paying jobs in Sabah.

The group returned home Thursday accompanied by Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza.

Migrante International and Gabriela facilitated their rescue from the See Hoy Chan Plantations in Jalan Jeroco, Sabah.

Those rescued were Joenel Caro, Roland Casis, Nelio Casquejo, Ruben and Moises Cortel, Michael Duran, John Mark and Vicente Libuna, Ariel and Jan Rey Lorena, Butch and Quizy Pastolero, and Romeo Pedregosa.

Darwin Calar, Zandro Camba and Rene Lim are still at the plantation.

Maza said the victims were promised good-paying jobs at the plantation but were made to work on a "pakyaw" or a piece rate basis. They wages they received also had many deductions and their employer took their passports.

“They were in debt bondage,” Maza said.

The Ilonggos also complained of dangerous working conditions in the plantation.

The Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants first got wind of the Ilonggos’ plight. Their case was referred to Tenaganita, a Malaysia-based non-profit organization campaigning against human trafficking. The Philippine Embassy in Malaysia was contacted.

There are close to 30,000 Filipinos working and living in Malaysia, two-thirds of which are married to nationals.

Majority of the Filipinos employed in Malaysia are working as domestic workers. The rest are architects, information technology professionals, and workers in electronic factories in Penang and Johore.