Police rescued 11 workers and arrested two men during an anti-human trafficking raid at a suspected illegal cigarette factory inside a closed leisure park in Trece Martires City, Cavite, on Friday.
The 6 a.m. operation at the Amore Recreation and Leisure Park in Barangay Aguado led to the arrest of Tony Sia Lao, a resident of Masbate City, and Erwin Torres Sy of Pasay City, police said. A third suspect named in the search warrant was not found during the raid.
Authorities said the rescued workers, mostly from Masbate, were recruited to work at the unregistered factory. They were brought to the Trece Martires City Police Station for documentation and assistance. Police said the leisure park, which was no longer in operation, had been converted into a cigarette manufacturing facility.
The raid was conducted under a search warrant for violations of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, as amended by the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.
Police said the operation stemmed from an inspection authority issued by the Department of Labor and Employment Region IV-A, signed by Regional Director Erwin Aquino. It was carried out jointly with labor inspectors, social welfare officers, and local police units.
The search warrant was issued on Oct. 28 by the Calamba Regional Trial Court Branch 92.
Barangay officials witnessed the raid, which was recorded using body-worn cameras, police added