CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Women and Children Protection – Visayas Field Unit (WCPC-VFU) is now preparing a case for violation of Republic Act 9208 or the anti-trafficking in persons law, against the two owners of a massage parlor who were allegedly pimping their massage therapists.
Six women who were working as massage therapists were rescued during the raid conducted past 12 am of Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020,
The operation also led to the arrest of the two owners identified as Darling Guston and Mary Craza Davidas both of Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Raul Bolido, head of the WCPC-VFU, said that they received information about the illegal activities of the establishment long before they placed it under monitoring for about a month.
He said that the bookings were done online and the customers would only pick up the chosen women and bring them somewhere else.
Aside from the “extra service” the massage parlor, also located in Barangay Hipodromo, also offers body to body massage where the massage therapists and the customers are both naked. This service reportedly costs about P3,000.
“Dyan pa lang sa walk-in explain na sayo kung ano yung gagawin kaya pag pasok sa loob alam mo na kung ano ang gagawin,” said Bolido.
(When you are a walk-in customer, the specifics of what they will be doing is already explained so you already know what to expect when you continue inside.)
The six women arrested massage therapists were brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) while the WCPC-VFU conduct further investigation and profiling.
Meanwhile, Guston and Dividas are temporarily detained at the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) detention facility pending the filing of charges. /rcg