Six Lebanon-bound Filipinas were intercepted by immigration officers at Iloilo City’s international airport on Dec. 1 after they were suspected to have been illegally recruited.
The Bureau of Immigration announced today in a statement that the women were stopped at the departure area shortly before they were supposed to board a Cathay Pacific flight bound for Hong Kong. From there, they would board another flight going to Beirut where they were supposed to work as undocumented domestic workers.
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Maria Timotea Barizo, an immigration officer, said an anonymous caller had tipped them off about the undocumented women via their hotline. “Reports like these are really valuable to the council as they help us immediately identify the victims and conduct rescue operations.”
After verifying the information, the officers interviewed the six women after they were spotted at the airport. The women then confessed that they were traveling to Beirut to work as domestic workers without the necessary documents.
Immigration Chief Jaime Morente has urged the public to report suspected human trafficking cases by calling the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking’s (IACAT) hotline at 1343.
“We urge our fellow Filipinos to call and report so the council may investigate and rescue these poor victims who are duped by traffickers and illegal recruiters,” Morente said.
The six women were brought to the IACAT for further investigation.
