THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced the safe return of 14 Filipinos who were victims of human trafficking and forced to work in scam hubs abroad.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado reported that the victims arrived in two batches at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on July 30th.
Viado detailed harrowing accounts of abuse, stating, “It is heartbreaking to report that one of the victims, who is pregnant, was subjected to torture whenever she experienced pregnancy sickness. Another victim, a man, was physically struck on the neck for failing to meet his assigned quotas.”
Eight Filipinos were repatriated from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after being detained for six months by Malaysian authorities. They had traveled via boat from Dipolog City to Zamboanga City, then to Malaysia, before being apprehended in Perlis, near the Thai border. Promised P50,000 monthly salaries as office workers in Laos, they were discovered to have counterfeit Philippine immigration stamps in their passports.
The Philippine Embassy in Malaysia facilitated their repatriation.
Separately, six Filipinos returned from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the same day. Two flew from Phnom Penh, while four used small boats to reach Cambodia.
They were promised $1,000 monthly salaries as customer service representatives but were forced to work in scam hubs and abused for failing to meet quotas. The Philippine Embassy in Cambodia assisted their return. Commissioner Viado expressed deep concern over the continued attempts by Filipinos to seek illegal employment abroad, urging the public to utilize legal channels for overseas employment.
