Chinese nationals give testimonies on alleged illegal labour at gambling operator

Ten have provided statements to prosecutors in relation to a Pasay City-based gambling firm.

The Philippines.- Ten Chinese nationals have provided testimony against seven compatriots in the case of a Pasay City-based online gambling firm that was raided last year. The testimonies will be evaluated by prosecutors, who will determine the feasibility of legal action.

Winston Romeo Casio, spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), told the Philippine News Agency the testimonies provided evidence of forced labour and the sale of personnel at Smart Web Technology Corp. In a raid last year on a six-story building along Williams Street in Pasay City, authorities rescued 731 workers, including seven Filipinas, from an aquarium-style viewing chamber on the second floor of a massage parlour within the building.

Chinese workers claimed they were being held against their will and exhibited signs of physical abuse. The raid found a nine-room KTV area, pharmacy, a restaurant, and a designated area for illicit drug activities.

See also: Senator Gatchalian urges probe into illegal workers