The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has raised concerns over the growing number of Filipino human trafficking victims who are illegally leaving the country through backdoor routes to work for "POGO-like" organizations abroad.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reaffirmed his administration's commitment to combating human trafficking and protecting Filipino workers from exploitative schemes. While the BI continues to strengthen border security, the agency stresses the need for greater coordination with local authorities to prevent illegal departures.
BI Commissioner Atty. Joel Anthony Viado reported that three human trafficking victims — two females and one male — were recently repatriated after being deceived into working as love scammers. The victims arrived in the Philippines on 16 March aboard a Philippine Airlines flight from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
According to Viado, the victims sought assistance from the Philippine Embassy after enduring over two months of physical assault and torture at the hands of their employers. Upon arrival at NAIA Terminal 1, they were met by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which has launched an inquiry into their recruiters.
Initial investigations revealed that the three victims had no official departure records from the Philippines. They disclosed that they had left the country illegally via a small boat from Jolo, Sulu, traveling to Sabah, Malaysia. From Sabah, their passports were allegedly stamped with a fake Philippine departure mark before they proceeded by land to Kuala Lumpur and then flew to Bangkok en route to their final destination in Cambodia.
The victims were recruited via Facebook by a fellow Filipino who promised them Customer Service Representative (CSR) jobs in Cambodia, with a monthly salary of $1,000. Upon arrival, they were forced into working as love scammers and were paid only $300.
Due to underpayment, they attempted to transfer to another employer but were physically abused by their Chinese employer, had their mobile phones confiscated, and were abandoned in an unfamiliar location. Eventually, they reached out to the Philippine Embassy, which facilitated their return home.
Forensic examination by the BI’s Documents Laboratory confirmed that the departure stamps on their passports were counterfeit.
While the BI continues to reinforce border security, Atty. Viado emphasized that combating human trafficking requires a collaborative approach involving local government units (LGUs) and law enforcement agencies responsible for monitoring illegal travel routes used by traffickers.
He urged all stakeholders to cooperate in intensifying monitoring and enforcement efforts in high-risk areas, stressing that traffickers are using illicit methods to evade immigration detection.
"This industry results in the abuse of our fellow Filipinos," Viado said.
He also disclosed that a recent study by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) on backdoor routes is a significant step toward safeguarding vulnerable areas from human trafficking syndicates.