Cebu Bar Supervisor Arrested for Human Trafficking as 20 Women Rescued

Cebu City — A bar supervisor is facing human trafficking charges after government agents rescued 20 women from a bar in Mandaue City, Cebu, where they were allegedly coerced into providing ‘extra services’ to patrons.

According to Philippines News Agency, criminal charges were filed on Wednesday against Riza Novela, who was apprehended on June 21 at a bar located along A.S. Fortuna St. in Barangay Banilad. The NBI also indicated that similar charges would be levied against the owners of the bar. The arrests and charges followed a tip-off from a concerned citizen about the activities at the JTV Bar, prompting the NBI to investigate.

Undercover agents from the NBI first visited the establishment, where they were offered unlimited drinks for a PHP600 fee. A ‘manager’ at the bar introduced them to ‘customer care assistants,’ who were expected to sit, sing, or dance with patrons, and more services were implied. The NBI noted that most of these assistants were single mothers or women in financial hardship.

The operation escalated when NBI agents arranged for two of these assistants to accompany them under the guise of having dinner and visiting a motel. Instead, the agents took the women to a safehouse where they were debriefed by social workers from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Following this intervention, the NBI conducted a raid on the bar, successfully rescuing 18 additional employees under similar circumstances. The ongoing investigation and legal proceedings aim to address and curb the exploitation practices identified at this establishment.