By Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA
MANILA — A more stringent and expanded mechanism to prevent human trafficking will be implemented very soon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports, Immigration Port Operations Division chief, Grifton Medina, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday.
Medina said a scam has recently resurfaced. The scam involves documents that are fraudulently acquired.
“It is different from counterfeit documents. The documents are real, but the details are wrong,” he said.
He cited as an example, a 21-year old Filipina who was supposedly bound for Saudi Arabia last Wednesday. Authorities discovered that the Filipina is only 21, while her passport showed she is 25.
Apparently, she only learned about the changes in her birth date when her recruiter gave her travel documents on the day of her flight.
According to Medina, the officers knew that it was a scam because it involved an agency known for such fraudulent act.
“We have a technique to determine if the interviewee tells the truth,” Medina added.
He said that while the Philippines considers 18 years old as legal age, Saudi Arabia’s rule is that a person should be at least 23 years old to work in a household.
“We do pre-screening. We interview. When there is doubt, the traveler is being referred to the TCEU (Travel Control and Enforcement Unit) for secondary inspection,” Medina said.
Medina noted that the expanded anti-trafficking measures that Immigration officers will implement were already drafted.
“The draft measures was already amended and is now in the final touches. It just needs to be signed,” he said.
