BI officials bar 10 women bound for Saudi Arabia

MANILA, Philippines - Immigration operatives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 stopped yesterday 10 women suspected to be victims of human trafficking from leaving for Saudi Arabia.

The passengers were ready to board Cathay Pacific flight CX 906 for Hong Kong on their way to Saudi Arabia when intercepted by members of the Migrant Compliance and Monitoring Group (MCMG) and BI head supervisor Teody Pascual.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said that the interception was made by virtue of a complaint of an overseas Filipino worker which was filed with the airport police at NAIA Terminal 1 recently.

Libanan said that the complainant who was recruited by a Manila-based agency said she was no longer interested working in Saudi Arabia. She said that her close friend who was deployed earlier told her that almost all workers deployed by the same agency were still unemployed after almost a month.

The immigration chief said the informant further revealed that they are currently accommodated by the Saudi counterpart of the subject agency in a congested quarter where food is limited and some of them want to go home, but can’t.

Investigation

Libanan upon learning of the case immediately ordered an investigation of the said complaint. After preliminary interrogation, the complainant revealed that on May 27, the Davao branch of the said agency gave her and two other companions fake postal IDs consistent with names used in their domestic plane tickets bound for Manila.

Upon arrival in Manila, they were picked up by representatives of the agency and went to the accommodation house in Sta. Ana, Manila where they stayed until their intended departure for Saudi Arabia.

The complainant also said that there are still more than 100 recruits in the congested accommodation house in Sta. Ana but only 10 of them were scheduled to leave yesterday, but they were intercepted by the MCMG.

Libanan has given orders to Ferdinand Sampol, head of the Airport Operation Division and his immigration officers at the country’s ports to be vigilant in their guard against Filipinos who have been lured by unscrupulous individuals with promises of gainful employment abroad.

 “As much as we know that our Kababayan only want to work in their aimed destination, we have verified this matter with our labor attache and our embassy in Saudi Arabia because we cannot allow them to leave the country if we know that their safety and well-being are compromised,” Libanan said.

 “The Bureau of Immigration has implemented programs and policies to intensify our drive against human trafficking and we cannot allow the proliferation of these illegal activities in the country,” Libanan added.

The 10 passengers were turned over to the Department of Justice Task Force on Trafficking Against Persons for further investigation.