Immigration officers intercepted six suspected female trafficking victims at the Iloilo international airport who attempted to leave the country for Lebanon where they were illegally recruited to work as domestic helpers.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the women were stopped at the departure area of the Iloilo International Airport as they were about to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Hongkong.
“Upon arriving in Hongkong they were supposed to board their connecting flight to Beirut and end up working there as household service workers [HSWs] without the appropriate overseas work permits,” Ma. Timotea Barizo, BI-TCEU overall supervisor said
Barizo said that the trafficking attempt was foiled after they were tipped off by informants about the trafficking attempt.
“A concerned citizen called the IACAT [Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking] 1343 action line to relay the information. Reports like these are really valuable to the council as they help us immediately identify the victims and conduct rescue operations,” she added.
“They all admitted that they were traveling to Lebanon to work as HSWs without the necessary documents,” the BI official said.
The women reportedly alleged that a certain “Alfred” facilitated the processing of their travel documents and that their work visas would be handed to them upon their arrival in Beirut.
Meanwhile, Morente reiterated his appeal to the public to report possible cases of human trafficking. “The IACAT 1343 action line is a very valuable tool in preventing human trafficking. We urge our fellow Filipinos to call and report so the council may investigate and rescue these poor victims who are duped by traffickers and illegal recruiters,” said Morente.
All of the women were turned over to the IACAT in Region 6 for assistance and further investigation.