Authorities thwarted an attempt to traffic four young Filipinos abroad after intercepting them and their escort at Clark International Airport (CIA) on December 25. The group was bound for Singapore, allegedly en route to Cambodia for illegal employment.
According to Mary Jane Hizon, head of the Bureau of Immigration’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), the victims initially claimed to be solo tourists but later admitted they were traveling together under the guidance of a 38-year-old female escort.
The victims, all in their 20s, revealed they had been recruited by an Indonesian national to work as encoders in a POGO-like company in Cambodia. They were promised a monthly salary of Php 60,000. Their escort confessed to facilitating their travel to Singapore as part of the recruiter’s plan to smuggle them into Cambodia.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado highlighted the risks associated with such illegal recruitment schemes, stating that many victims end up in scam hubs operating as “catfishers.” These operations involve creating fake online identities to deceive victims into sending money or investing in fraudulent schemes.
This incident was part of a string of interceptions by immigration authorities in December. Notable cases include a 28-year-old man attempting to travel to Laos via Bangkok and groups of individuals bound for Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand under false pretenses. Some even used counterfeit documents to evade immigration checks.
“These syndicates lure Filipinos with promises of high salaries but trap them into working as scammers in dangerous conditions,” Viado said. “Do not let this happen to you. Stay vigilant and avoid illegal job offers abroad.”
The victims and their facilitator have been handed over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and potential legal action against the recruiters. Authorities continue to warn against accepting dubious overseas job offers, emphasizing the dangers of falling prey to human trafficking.
