THE Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur warned Filipinos to be cautious of illegal recruitment syndicates that promise overseas jobs to Filipinos and bring them out through Western Mindanao to Sabah then to Dubai or other countries.
The Philippine embassy in Malaysia stressed that the Sabah authorities are now very active in arresting Filipinos who illegally cross the borders to Sandakan in Sabah.
“Being made to exit via Zamboanga or Tawi-Tawi is a sure tell-tale sign of illegal trafficking and should ring alarm bells to job-seekers,” the embassy said in a statement. “They risk apprehension by Sabah authorities for unauthorized entry or fall victim to sex and other traffickers.”
The embassy reminded Filipinos that legitimate employment requires working visas issued by the embassy or consulate in Manila of their destination country.
Aside from that, Filipinos who wish to work abroad must acquire work permits from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.
“If the job offer requires the applicant to exit through Mindanao, it is most likely a human trafficking ploy,” the embassy stressed.
So far, Sabah authorities have apprehended more than 20 Filipino women who were promised employment abroad.
The embassy cited the case of a Filipina who was offered a job as a domestic helper in Dubai by a certain Layes Lynian of Al Eternad Labor Supply company based in Manila.
According to her husband who alerted the Embassy, the Filipina and other recruits were made to go to Zamboanga, and then boarded a ferry to Sandakan, Sabah, where they were apprehended by Sabah authorities and jailed.
Another Filipina also confessed that they were recruited to work as household service workers through a social media by a certain Flordeliza Flores Eborde, who referred them to a “Ms. Venus” who can be contacted only through mobile phone.
Ms. Venus instructed them to go to Brooke’s Point, Palawan and board a motorboat to Mapun in Tawi-Tawi.
Upon arriving, the Filipina and seven others were transferred in a speed boat to travel to Sabah with an agent or guide known as “Mr. Jomar or Dumar Kasim”. As soon as they arrived Sandakan in Sabah, the authorities where arrested them.