DMW: Deported Pinoy seafarers in porno probe ‘not random’

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday that Filipino seafarers deported from the United States for allegedly accessing child pornography were “specifically, definitely, and categorically identified” by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.

During a Senate Committee on Migrant Workers hearing, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said CBP agents knew exactly which seafarers to investigate when they boarded a Carnival Cruise Line ship in July.

“Not all seafarers are investigated, invited, or have their cellphones checked,” Olalia said. “They only identified who to question, summon and investigate.”

He added that CBP officers have the email addresses of all seafarers.

One of the deported seafarers, Earl Gamboa, corroborated Olalia’s statement, saying CBP officers found him while he was working. Gamboa, who denies the allegations, said officers claimed he shared an image of a child in October 2021.

Gamboa also said he was in Saudi Arabia at the time and believes he was wrongly accused.

Meantime, Olalia also alleged that the seafarers were denied due process. He said CBP officers did not inform them of their right to consular representation, a right guaranteed under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention.

Neither the Migrant Workers Office nor the Philippine Embassy was notified of their arrests, he added.

The seafarers reportedly face a 10-year ban from reentering the US.