BI intercepts ‘minor’ OFW bound for Jeddah
AN overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was intercepted by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers on Tuesday morning for “misrepresentation” of age.
BI officers stationed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 intercepted the female OFW before she was able to board a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight to Jeddah to work as a “household service worker” (HSW).
Commissioner Norman Tansingco shared that the OFW, who was “victimized” by an unscrupulous agency, presented documents stating that she is 24 years old.
“However, it was apparent in her demeanor that something was off,” said Tansingco. “She was obviously younger than her presented age,” he added.
The victim was able to present a passport with a valid working visa stating that she was 24 years old. However, officers were able to discover that the birth certificate she carried was altered.
Current policies require HSWs working in the Middle East to be at least 24 years old.
“The immigration officer who processed her passport doubted the authenticity of the supporting document and submitted it for (a) tertiary check to our forensic documents laboratory,” said Tansingco.
“There we were able to confirm that the year of birth and other details in the birth certificate was altered,” he added.
Despite this, the victim was able to secure identification documents and a visa.
Tansingco shared that the victim, who hails from Sultan Kudarat, “could not read or write,” which her recruiters may have taken advantage of to make her agree to the scheme.
“We suspect that she may be less than 20 years old and possibly even be a minor,” said Tansingco. “This is a clear case of trafficking that abuses the vulnerabilities of our young ones,” he added.
The victim was referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance and prosecution against her recruiters.
