Two Africa-bound Filipino women suspected to be victims of human trafficking were stopped by Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on March 7.
According to the BI, the two individuals who were about to board their Kuala Lumpur flight, admitted that they will only transit Kuala Lumpur with Congo in Central Africa as their final destination.
They said they were hired as household workers by a Filipina who works as “mayordoma” for a rich couple in Congo.
“These victims were enticed by promises of big salaries, however by going through these illegal means, they are of higher risk for abuse and exploitation,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.
The official also warned human trafficking syndicates that their modus of disguising their victims as tourists will not work.
“Our officers at the airport are proficient in detecting this old scheme. So it is highly unlikely that they will pass our counters unnoticed,” he said. AG – gb
