MANILA, Philippines — Lenlen, not her real name, was only 14 years old when she was trafficked to war-torn Syria in 2018.
Her ordeal was disclosed during Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate women committee, led by Senator Risa Hontiveros, when audio of her interview with one of the senator’s staff was presented.
Lenlen, whose passport was altered to change her name and age, said she was not aware that she would be deployed to Syria when she was promised work in Dubai.
When Lenlen and other recruits reached Damascus, she recalled that their phones were taken away from them before they underwent a medical examination and brought to their employers.
She said that she was not f…
Keep on reading: Made to travel with fake passports, Filipina teens fall victim to trafficking in Syria