BI rescues 17-year-old trafficking victim posing as 27-year-old bound for Saudi

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) rescued a suspected trafficking victim who attempted to leave the country using another person’s identity.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the victim, later determined to be a 17-year-old girl, posed as a 27-year-old woman in an attempt to depart for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The victim tried to board an Air China flight bound for Saudi Arabia via China on 21 February at NAIA Terminal 1.

She claimed she was traveling as an overseas Filipino worker and would be employed as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia.

However, immigration officers flagged the passenger after noticing inconsistencies in her documents and statements during inspection.

The passenger initially presented a passport and a postal identification card bearing the same age and personal details.

She was later found to be in possession of a national identification card reflecting a different age, which raised suspicion among officers.

Further interviews revealed that she was using another person’s identity to travel and work abroad.

Viado said the passenger’s true age was only 17, which is below the minimum deployment age of 24 required for overseas Filipino workers applying as domestic workers.

The passenger was subsequently turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation and assistance.