The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested several Filipino victims of human trafficking who were on their way to Cambodia. The passengers were reportedly caught at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on October 29 and 30.
Two men, ages 25 and 37, were the first to be caught. According to the BI, they pretended to be tourists going to Thailand but actually intended to fly to Cambodia. They were carrying fake work documents. One of them admitted that the recruiter threatened him, saying that his friend in Cambodia would be harmed if he did not continue.
On the same day, two men heading to Hong Kong were also stopped. It was found that their employment records were also fake. They were allegedly offered jobs in Cambodia with a salary of ₱52,000 per month.
The next day, two women who were on their way to Hong Kong were caught. They admitted to being recruited online for chat support jobs in Cambodia with an offer of ₱60,000 monthly salary.
According to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, these heartless syndicates are exploiting the poverty of Filipinos. He advised the public not to fall for offers that are too good to be true. Cambodia continues to be a hotbed of human trafficking, with many Filipinos falling victim to this modus operandi.
