BI prevents 2 Pinoys from leaving PH
BUREAU of Immigration (BI) authorities at the Clark International Airport intercepted two would-be victims of human trafficking before departing for Bangkok, Thailand.
The individuals presented themselves as tourists traveling in a group via a Cebu Pacific flight but were flagged down due to inconsistent statements.
“The passengers gave inconsistent statements thus were referred for secondary inspection by our immigration officers,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco disclosed.
Further investigation revealed the two had valid tourist visas for Dubai and were promised employment in the United Arab Emirates without proper documentation prescribed by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
“This interception underscores the dangers of leaving the country undocumented and falling victim to human trafficking schemes.
These individuals were lured with false promises of employment, only to find themselves at the mercy of traffickers with no legal protections,” the BI chief said.
One of the passengers admitted her true intent to work as a cashier in Dubai with a promised salary of P22,000, and her travel expenses were to be deducted from her monthly earnings.
The other passenger was set to work as a babysitter for her recruiter. Tansingco emphasized the importance of legal channels for overseas employment.
Both victims were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation.
