Senator Raffy Tulfo slammed the use of the country’s backdoor exit to transport illegally recruited Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for human trafficking activities.

“In the midst of studying this problem on port security, a group of OFWs approached my office, just a few days ago, and told us their story of how they were illegally recruited and lured into this human trafficking scheme through a backdoor pass from the Philippines, to Malaysia, to Thailand, and eventually to Europe,” Tulfo said in his privilege speech during a plenary session.

Tulfo also noted that the backdoor route was used by dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, and her companions to escape from the Philippines.

“While transportation is a means to move people and things, and is a crucial tool in commerce, it is also utilized by criminals, to execute their deeds, to smuggle goods, to escape the hands of justice, and for human trafficking,” he said. 

The senator lamented the painful stories of illegal OFWs who were promised to get high-paying jobs but turned out to be working for criminal syndicates. 

These OFWs, according to Tulfo, were lured by illegal recruiters to work in Europe in exchange for a P400,000 placement fee but went an unusual exit from the Philippines.

“It was painful to hear their story knowing that they were fooled into paying a big amount to fulfill their dreams of working in Europe, only to end up almost losing their lives, getting sexually harassed, and drowning in debt without any source of income,” he said.

Tulfo narrated such unfortunate stories have started in October last year when a group of aspiring OFWs found an advertisement on Facebook—where recruits were being promised employment in Europe in just three to four months of processing. 

They were asked to pay various fees and expenses with the amount reaching P400,000. 

According to Tulfo, OFWs earlier doubted the recruitment process but recruiters handling them insisted that they had connections with the Department of Migrant Workers and that the employment application to Europe was legally processed.   

“Pero ang nangyari po sa kanila ay parang mga nangyayari lang sa pelikula: nakakaawa, nakakagalit at nakakahabag (But they end up in unfortunate situation like a movie: they pitiful, infuriating and compassionate),” he stressed. 

Backdoor Journey

“Nagsimula ang kanilang paglalakbay noong August 6. Lumipad sila ng commercial flight mula Manila papuntang Zamboanga. Noong August 7, lumipad naman sila mula Zamboanga papuntang Tawi-Tawi (Their journey started on August 6. They took a commercial flight from Manila to Zamboanga. On August 7, they flew from Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi),” Tulfo narrated. 

Early morning on 8 August, their trip via boat continued, he added. 

“Dito hinipuan sa maseselang bahagi ng katawan ang isa sa mga babaeng OFW nung kanilang bangkero (There, the the driver of the boat started to touch one of the female OFWs on the sensitive part of her body),” the senator lamented. 

Tulfo said the victim no longer resisted when being harassed as she feared being thrown into the ocean. 

On the evening of 8 August, the group of OFWs reached the Semporna, Sabah where they were fetched by two cars going to Kota Kinabalu, and then transferred to Kuala Lumpur and Changlun. They stayed in Malaysia until 28 August. The next day they traveled near the border of Thailand. 

They stayed and underwent immigration processing in Thailand until they traveled to Bangkok on 31 August. 

From Bangkok, the group of OFWs were flown to Europe.

“Tinawagan nila ang kanilang recruiter. Kung ano anong dahilan ang sinabi sa kanila at sinubukan silang hingan pa ng pera upang maayos pa raw ang problema (They called their recruiter, who told them different excuses and even asked them for more money to supposedly fix the problem),” Tulfo narrated. 

“Kinalauanan, tumawag na ang grupo sa mga pamilya nila dahil binabantaan na sila ng kanilang recruiter na kung hindi sila magbibigay ng pera magkakaproblema sila dahil may droga ang kanilang mga iniwan na bagahe (Later on, the group called their families as their recruiter started to threaten them that if they didn't give money they would be in trouble because the luggage they left behind contained drugs),” he continued.

Tulfo said the incident was reported to his office and in DMW which led to their rescue. He then raised the issue to the Senate Committee on Labor and Committee on Justice and Human Rights for an investigation.

“Dito makikita ang kahinaan ng ating border security at kakulangan ng regulation ng mga pribadong panglakbay sa dagat (Here you can witness our weak border security and lack of regulation of private transportations at sea),” he said.

Tulfo noted the use of boats has become a major mode of transportation in the country.

As an archipelagic country with thousands of islands, the senator stressed the need to strengthen border security controls at every exit and entrance.

“Without the proper border security, we are a hub for human trafficking, smuggling, escape route and hide-out for fugitives, drug operations, and so much more,” he said.