THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted a Filipina at the NAIA Terminal 3 last Dec. 30 after its joint system with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) flagged her Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) as fake.
The aspiring overseas worker, 27-years-old, was bound for Hong Kong with a connecting flight to Malaysia.
She initially presented herself as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and submitted an OEC as part of her travel requirements.
However, the joint BI-DMW system detected that her OEC was not registered.
Further verification by DMW personnel at the airport confirmed the document was counterfeit and issued under another person’s name.
During questioning, the passenger admitted that she had asked a friend to process the OEC on her behalf.
The friend referred her to an individual that she met in Parañaque, to whom she submitted her documents and paid approximately PHP 10,000 to get the fake document.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commended the interception and emphasized the importance of technology in preventing illegal activities.
“The use of our joint verification system with the DMW has proven crucial in detecting fraudulent documents. The BI remains committed to protecting Filipinos by intercepting such attempts to use fake OECs,” said Viado. “I strongly urge the public to process their documents through proper channels to avoid falling victim to scams,” he added.
The passenger has been endorsed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and the filing of charges against her recruiter.
The BI reminded aspiring OFWs to avoid shortcuts and unauthorized intermediaries. Scams involving fake OECs are rampant. Viado recommended that OFWs verify with the DMW job offers that they may receive to ensure their protection.
