BI relieves officers for helping Filipinos in trafficking route

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel M. Viado said Wednesday that several immigration personnel at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been relieved of their duties for allegedly helping Filipinos travel to Myanmar via Thailand.

In an interview during the arrival of repatriated Myanmar victims at NAIA Terminal 1, Viado said reports indicated that some returnees had claimed to receive assistance from seven immigration officers.

“There were specific names mentioned, so we issued show-cause orders and immediately relieved them of their duties at the airport,” he said.

While no specific amount was disclosed regarding how much the officers may have received in exchange for their assistance, Viado stressed that any form of assistance is already a red flag.

He added that there were allegedly 15 individuals assisted by these officials.

“These are just allegations for now, but we still need to verify the exact number,” he noted.

BI and other government agencies are set to conduct further investigation within second batch of repatriated victims consisting of 176 Filipinos from Myanmar’s scam hubs.