Cops rescue six women in Kalibo videoke bar raid

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Six female entertainers – one of them believed to be minor - were rescued in a police operation from a videoke bar in Kalibo, Aklan on Saturday evening. 

Police raided the Lucky 7 Videoke Bar and Massage Parlor along Toting Reyes Street in Barangay Andagao, this town.

Aside from them, a security guard of the establishment and two minor male waiters were also brought by operatives to Kalibo police station. 

The entrapment operation was conducted by operatives of Aklan Public Safety Company, Provincial Intelligence Branch and Kalibo police station in coordination with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office at around 11:10 p.m.

Police arrested the videoke-bar floor manager identified as 38-year old Geraldine Sabucido alias Venus, widow, native of Bacolod City and temporarily residing at Andagao, Kalibo, Aklan.

The arrest was made after a police asset handed P1,500 marked money as bar fine in exchange for the girls’ sexual services.

 Sabucido is detained at Kalibo police station. She is facing charges for violation of  Republic Act 9208, which has been amended as Republic Act 10364, or the law on anti-human trafficking.

A man allegedly running the videoke bar is out of town when the operatives swooped down the establishment. 

WCPD investigator Senior Police Officer 1 Babylyn Daylusan said the women rescued by the police were recruited from Bacolod City, Bicol and Quezon City.

“The age of the alleged minor girl will be verified on Monday with the National Statistics Office,” she said.

According to a social welfare worker, the minor girl is aged between 16 to 17 years old. 

Police said they were monitoring the suspected trafficking of minors by the videoke bar before the entrapment was conducted. 

The six rescued girls are now under custody of MSWD Women’s Center. It was learned one of the rescued girls is seven-months pregnant. 

Two male waiters, both aged 16-years old from Sitio Bambang in Barangay Calizo, Balete, Aklan, were also released by the social welfare worker to their parents after counseling on Sunday afternoon.

In an interview, one of the stay-in waiters had been working for three weeks at the videoke bar and earning P2,000 monthly.  

The security guard identified as Rowel Arboleda, 42, of Barangay Aranas, Balete, Aklan was also released on Sunday morning by the police. 

Arboleda, who was assigned by Kislap Agency at the videoke bar, presented his duty detail order and documents of Armscor 38 revolver at the police station.