The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday reported that authorities have arrested two individuals involved in recruiting Filipinos to work in scam hubs in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
BI commissioner Atty. Joel Anthony Viado hailed the arrests, which were carried out by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The individuals are accused of trafficking Filipino victims to work at scam centers abroad, where they allegedly faced physical and verbal abuse.
This comes after the repatriation of 206 human trafficking victims from Myanmar on 25 and 26 March — a result of joint efforts by agencies belonging to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
One of the suspects, known by the alias “Fiona,” was arrested Wednesday by the Zamboanga Police Department. Victims accused her of facilitating unlawful backdoor departures after offering them customer care representative positions overseas.
They claimed “Fiona” convinced them to leave the country illegally through unofficial routes.
The NBI apprehended the other suspect, known by the alias “Jon Jon,” who was among those repatriated on Wednesday. While he initially claimed to be a victim of the syndicate, his coworkers identified him as one of the recruiters who promised jobs in Thailand but instead transported them to Myanmar, where they were allegedly abused and forced to engage in fraudulent activities.
Viado lauded the arrests as a significant step in combating human trafficking in the Philippines and stressed the need for a sustained commitment from the entire government to address the issue and prevent further abuse of victims.
The BI chief reiterated his concern about the methods used by trafficking rings, noting that 136 of the returning victims left the Philippines under the guise of regular tourists. This included five individuals traveling as a family and 14 as spouses, all intending to work illegally overseas.
Viado disclosed that 55 of the repatriated individuals had no prior travel history, raising suspicions that they departed the country illegally. Additionally, 15 Filipinos who were already employed abroad were reportedly solicited to transfer to a third country.
“With all of them departing under false pretenses or through illegal means, this is a problem of migrant workers being lured by false promises,” Viado said. “We promise to keep doing our part as an IACAT member agency to prevent our ‘kababayan’ from being harmed.”
Meantime, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval revealed in a televised interview Friday that one of the arrested suspects was among the recently repatriated Filipinos. The other suspect, a Filipino woman, allegedly organized the backdoor departure of approximately 54 individuals.
“The recruiter appears inconspicuous, like an ordinary woman, someone you wouldn’t suspect. She’s an older woman, and you wouldn’t think she’s involved in trafficking,” Sandoval said.
Victims reported that the woman assisted them in traveling through an illegal route using a small boat. Upon arrival in Malaysia, Malaysian nationals allegedly stamped their passports with counterfeit Filipino immigration stamps.
“When we ran their passports through the forensic laboratory after their repatriation, we discovered that the stamps were fake,” Sandoval added.
The BI identified areas in the southern Philippines, including Palawan, as being of concern for backdoor travel routes. Another common route reportedly starts in Zamboanga, continues through Tawi-Tawi, and leads to destinations across Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed Friday that they have the authority to patrol areas within the country’s territorial waters and have deployed vessels in various districts nationwide, including patrols around Tawi-Tawi with plans to extend coverage to Palawan.
The BI surmises that the Filipina suspect may have been involved in trafficking operations from last year through early 2025. Authorities are also investigating the potential involvement of others in facilitating the departures, as arranging boat transport in these areas requires coordination with boat operators and local residents.
The second batch of victims from Myanmar scam hubs, comprising 176 Filipinos, was repatriated on Thursday, following the arrival of the first batch of 30 Filipinos on Wednesday.
Viado previously announced that seven immigration officers were relieved from their posts for allegedly assisting in the departure of around 15 Filipinos while Sandoval confirmed that the victims identified these officers through a photo lineup.