A lawmaker called for the investigation of the cruise ship that intended to smuggle aspiring overseas FIlipino workers (OFWs) to Micronesia last week.
ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III suggested that the government should investigate owners of cruise ship M/V Forever Lucky if they were able to illegally recruit and traffic Filipinos out of the country in the past.
“We intend to ascertain whether m/v Forever Lucky managed to sneak Filipino job recruits out of the country in the past, before it was caught red-handed,” Bertiz said.
“Regardless, the ship should be red-flagged by the authorities. From here on, the vessel should be subject to stricter boarding and inspection every time it leaves a Philippine port,” he added.
The owner of the cruise ship, Fahrenheit Co. Ltd., is a supplier of construction materials to Micronesia.
“We understand that Fahrenheit also engages in business in Micronesia. The company may have enlisted the workers for its own operations there, or for the activities of its business partners there,” Bertiz said.
On July 4, Philippine authorities rescued 139 aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in an anti-human smuggling operation in Orion, Bataan.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and National Bureau Investigation (NBI) arrived just in time as the victims were about to enter the cruise ship headed for Micronesia.
PCG discovered that the Filipinos are victims of human trafficking after they failed to show the necessary documents to board the ship.
The owner and operator of the cruise ship will be charged with violation of anti-human trafficking and anti-illegal recruitment law and could face 12 years to life in prison plus a fine of up to PHP5 million depending on the gravity of the offense.
