FOUR girls who are bound for Doha, Qatar were intercepted by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers in Clark International Airport recently.
The agency said the victims, who are set to work as house help in said country, reportedly presented travel documents making them appear older than their real ages.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the four, whose names are withheld following anti-trafficking laws, attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha.
The victims, who came from the southern part of the country, were referred by primary inspection officers for assessment upon noticing inconsistencies in their responses.
“The officers noted that the four gave highly inconsistent statements about their age and were unable to provide basic details about themselves,” said Morente.
According to the bureau, the minimum age to work as house help in the Middle East is 24.
“Many trafficking victims are given fraudulently acquired documents to make them appear older than they really are for them to qualify to work abroad,” said Morente.
“These policies are in place to protect them from harm. This is a form of human trafficking, and their victims are often minors and underaged women,” he added.
The victims were turned over to the Clark International Airport Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance in filing cases against their recruiters.