Immigration authorities rescued a 17-year-old girl at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after discovering she was allegedly being deployed illegally abroad using falsified documents.

In a statement, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the minor, identified by the alias “Zia” and a resident of Maguindanao del Sur, was intercepted at NAIA Terminal 1 on January 24 while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia via Dubai.

She was reportedly set to work as a household service provider.

Initial travel documents, including her passport, indicated that she was 25 years old. However, during secondary inspection, the passenger presented a birth certificate confirming she was only 17 years old, making her underage and ineligible for overseas employment.

“This administration will not allow traffickers and illegal recruiters to prey on our children,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

“We will remain relentless in protecting Filipinos from trafficking, deception, or illegal deployment. Anyone who thinks they can falsify documents and slip through our borders is gravely mistaken.”

Further investigation revealed that the minor was recruited by a recruitment agency based in Pasay City.

Following the interception, the BI immediately coordinated with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which took custody of the victim for protection, assistance, and case build-up against those responsible for the attempted illegal deployment.

Viado said the incident highlights the importance of vigilance among frontline immigration officers.

“This young girl was saved because our officers did their job and followed through,” he said. “We will continue to stop these schemes at our airports, ensuring victims are protected while perpetrators face the full force of the law.”