The Makati City government padlocked a hotel after authorities discovered that the establishment engaged in sex trafficking foreign women.
On orders of Mayor Abigail Binay, the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office closed down Golden Dragon Star Premium Hotel in Barangay Pio del Pilar for violating Republic Act No. 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and Section 4A of the Revised Makati Revenue Code or operating without a business permit.
Three Chinese nationals”•Kevin Sy, 25; Xiao Lo, 23; and Tong Po, 25″•have been arrested during the police operation against the establishment last week.
The Makati City police also rescued 13 other foreigners”•two Russians, two Vietnamese and nine Chinese women”•allegedly employed as sex workers, while five Filipino employees were invited for questioning at the police station.
Makati police chief investigator Maj. Gideon Ines said prior to the raid, a Chinese national helped to have access to the hotel a police operative who disguised as customer and handed over P22,000 to the hotel maintainer for a “good time”.
In January, Mayor Binay also ordered the closure of a KTV bar inside a hotel situated near the city’s Central Business District, also for alleged sex trafficking. Two Taiwanese nationals were also arrested for operating the alleged prostitution den.
Authorities said the police operation stemmed from the information of a confidential informant regarding the rampant proliferation of prostitution activities involving foreign nationals, mostly workers at the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation, in southern Metro Manila.
The city government of Makati had already declared an indefinite moratorium on the issuance of new business licenses and permits to service providers of POGO due to rising criminality and prostitution.
“We would no longer accept new applications for POGO service providers and crack down hard against illegal activities that are catering to POGOs and their employees within Makati,” said Mayor Binay.
The city chief executive cited the “overheating” market for residential and commercial space and the rising criminality and prostitution as major reasons for her decision to stop more POGOs from operating in the country’s financial district.