BORACAY ISLAND — At least 36 persons, including 11 believed to be vagrants and prostitutes, have been rounded up by the Boracay Special Tourist Protection Office this year.

Supt. Arnold Ardiente, deputy Aklan police director for operations, vowed to continue the drive following the complaints of foreign tourists.

"The crackdown on commercial sex workers was intensified on popular bars frequented by tourists in the beachfront. The offenders were charged with (violating) the anti-vagrancy law before the Aklan Prosecutor’s Office," he said.

Ardiente, the current BSTPO chief, noted that no minors were apprehended since last month in their anti-vagrancy operations.

He said most of those arrested were women in early 20s who were found loitering and staying late at night in bars to attract customers in the popular island paradise.

Over 400 resorts, hotels, bars, and restaurants normally owned by foreigners are doing business in the island. Young women work in tourism-related establishments as hotel clerks, waitresses or sales clerks.

"To eliminate vagrants in the island, the apprehending officers are conducting daily rounds of alleged sex workers, especially the ‘lady boys’ (gays) even in the wee hours of the morning," Ardiente said.