Authorities Rescued 3 Teenage Girls from Fake Gang Recruitment
Three teenage girls were rescued by police in Manila after being tricked into joining a supposed gang run by a 35-year-old man in Sampaloc, Manila.
On September 15, 2025, the police authorities rescued three teenage girls from a fake gang recruitment in Manila. Investigators said the suspect recruited the girls online and asked them to choose between ‘hirap’ o ‘sarap’ as part of their initiation.
Two victims, aged 13 and 14, were the first to fall into the scheme. Believing it was part of the process, they chose “pleasure” and were sexually abused. One of them was even filmed as the man pressed a lit cigarette on her hand, marking her as a so-called recruit.
The two victims later found the courage to report the incident, leading police to stage an entrapment. The suspect had started targeting another girl, a friend of the first two. Authorities said he used fear and threats, warning the girls that choosing “hirap” meant being beaten, leaving them little choice but to follow his demands.
Police stressed that the victims were searching for belonging and were deceived by false promises of friendship and security. In reality, the suspect was not part of any gang and only used the lie to prey on minors.
When police moved in, the suspect tried to flee from a hotel where another victim was about to be abused. He injured himself while jumping down stairs, then slipped as he ran, allowing officers to catch him.
A 42-year-old accomplice who drove the girls to the hotel was also arrested. The two men are facing charges of human trafficking, cybercrime, grave coercion, and violations of the Anti-Hazing Act. The rescued girls are now under counseling.
Authorities reminded parents to be vigilant, especially with their children’s social media activities, to keep them safe from predators.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the incident:
