Mail order ‘brides’ rescued
Published: January 24, 2005
An alleged mail-order bride syndicate was busted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Sunday. Arrested were six Koreans and five Filipinos.
Thirty-two Filipino women were also rescued from the Para¤aque City office of the Shing Sung Consulting and General Services during the raid.
The NBI seized several passports, videotapes, wedding pictures and application forms.
The arrested Koreans, who were presented to the media Monday, were An Hak Sun, 49; Cho Young Jin, 33; Kim Jung Hun, 32; Kim Seuing Chan, 23; Oh Yeon Dong, 33; and Lee Young Seung, 29.
Also arrested were Jenny Ann, 35, wife of An Hak Sun; Cunneth Bogaoit, 36; Maricar Fajaron, 44; Imelda Sia, 37; and Bing Manalo, 27.
NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco said the group allegedly matched Filipino women with Koreans for a fee. The Koreans refused to tell the NBI how much the matched marriage cost.
After the wedding, the brides were brought to Korea where they were allegedly abused or left on their own.
NBI anti-human trafficking chief Romulo Asis said the group would first encourage women to apply for a matched marriage with Koreans, luring them with promises of a better future.
If they pass a selection process, the women were interviewed by prospective grooms. They also had to take a medical examination and secure their travel documents.
The group arranged the wedding and honeymoon in the Philippines.
The bride’s parents were given P20,000 as a token, while the recruiter received P10,000. Once the bride’s Korean visa is approved, she goes to Korea with her husband.
But many women soon pack up and go back because of alleged maltreatment in their new homes.
Wycoco said the marriage contract allegedly stipulates that the bride pays her groom $3,000 if she decides to leave him, or if the marriage fails.
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