By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In a press conference on the heels of the successful repatriation of 120 distressed Filipino trafficking victims from Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar on Monday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reiterated its warning to aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be wary against the tactics of illegal recruiters and syndicates.
At the briefing with representatives from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara tackled the modus operandi of these nefarious individuals and organizations that take advantage of Filipinos seeking jobs overseas.
Asec. Alcantara said, “Ang ginagawa po ng mga human traffickers ay hinihikayat sila online, pinapangakuan na malaking sahod, benepisyo kaya nai-enganyo sila na sumama sa mga human traffickers— only to find out that they will be virtually imprisoned sa mga scam hubs.”
Likewise, he warned the public of some of the key red flags of illegal recruitment and human trafficking, including “too good to be true” jobs, backdoor exit points, dubious employment documents, and other modus operandi of illegal recruiters and syndicates, whether in physical or online transactions.
Alcantara added, “Aside from the remedial assistance, like financial, psychosocial, accommodation, legal, and medical assistance, tayo rin po ay aktibo sa pagbibigay ng impormayson—inside and outside the county to warn our Kababayans of the perils of illegal recruitment and trafficking. Ang investment natin ngayon is to warn the people.”
Moreover, the DMW cited the whole of government approach as pivotal in protecting the safety and welfare of Filipinos abroad, with 1,259 victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia receiving ample assistance from concerned government agencies as of press time.
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