Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (PNA file photo/Avito C. Dalan)
MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday warned the public against trafficking schemes, following a reported case wherein a victim was instructed to fake her sickness.
In a statement, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the victim disclosed the illegal recruiter's intent to avoid stringent immigration measures by using a wheelchair.
“These traffickers will go to great lengths to convince prospective workers to leave illegally because they earn a lot from their recruitment,” he said.
On Aug. 17, the BI intercepted the Thailand-bound victim at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.
The interception stemmed from inconsistencies observed in her statements during the secondary inspection.
"She admitted that her recruiter instructed her to feign sickness so she can use a wheelchair. The victim stated that she was instructed to delete all conversations with her recruiter on her mobile phone," the BI said.
Unlike her previous claim, the victim revealed being illegally recruited as a house worker in Lebanon.
The BI is now investigating her recruiter.
Tansingco, meanwhile, resounded his call to aspiring overseas workers to go through the right employment process and be vigilant against illegal recruitment schemes.
"Once the workers encounter distress, they (illegal recruiters) will disappear,” he said. (PNA)
