The Bureau of Immigration (BI) issued a warning on the trafficking of Filipino men to work as soldiers abroad, after several incidents showing the growing threat of schemes targeting unsuspecting Pinoys.
The warning is in line with the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.โs drive to protect Filipinos from human trafficking and illegal recruitment.
On March 31, a 52-year-old male Filipino victim was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 after presenting himself as a tourist traveling abroad to visit a friend.
However, primary inspection officers noted inconsistencies in his statements, prompting their referral to the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) for secondary inspection.
He later revealed that he is an army reservist, and was actually recruited to work in a foreign military. He was recruited on Facebook, and was made to pose as a tourist. He was offered a monthly salary of $2,500 with a sign on bonus of $25,000.
The following day, two victims, ages 38 and 39, were stopped at the Clark International Airport Terminal 2 before boarding a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Bangkok, Thailand.
The passengers initially claimed they were former work colleagues traveling for a vacation. Further interviews revealed that the two were in fact also recruited online to serve as soldiers abroad, with promises of a $1,500 monthly salary and a $30,000 joining bonus.
The victims disclosed that they were contacted through a Facebook group and communicated with recruiters via the messaging application WhatsApp, where they were instructed to proceed to Thailand and await further travel arrangements.
On April 5, two more men ages 49 and 50, were intercepted at NAIA Terminal 3 attempting to work as soldiers abroad by crossing through Ethiopia.
A few days after, on April 12 at NAIA Terminal 1, another 51-year-old victim was intercepted trying to cross through China to work abroad as a soldier.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado issued a strong warning on the scheme, stressing the grave danger posed by such operations.
โOur officers remain vigilant in detecting these schemes at the borders. This interception likely saved lives from being placed in extreme danger,โ he stated. โThis is a deeply alarming trend. These groups are deceiving Filipinos into working as armed personnel in undisclosed locations, putting their lives at serious risk. We strongly warn the public: do not fall for offers that sound too good to be true, especially those recruited through social media,โ he added.
The BI reiterated its call for the public to be cautious of suspicious job offers abroad, particularly those involving โsecurityโ or โmilitaryโ work with little to no clear documentation, as these may be fronts for illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
All victims were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and legal action against their recruiters. #
