BI nabs ‘recruiter’; 2 trafficking victims rescued at CIA
ACTING on a tip, officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted two female victims and their alleged “recruiter” at the Clark International Airport (CIA) afternoon of May 22.
In a report to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) stated that the three passengers initially claimed to be tourists bound for Hong Kong, flying out via Cebu Pacific Airlines.
The two victims claimed to be working as nannies for their traveling companion with the alias “Pauline,” 60, who was with two minor children.
The names of the victims and suspect have been withheld in compliance with anti-trafficking laws.
When interviewed separately, it was found that they were bound to the United Arab Emirates to work as “household service workers” and were offered a salary of 1600 Dirhams or nearly P24,000.
Both victims shared that they stumbled upon the recruitment via Facebook and were instructed to travel with “Pauline” and her children and pretend they were her “employees.”
The two victims and their supposed recruiter were turned over to the CIA Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation.
