THE National Bureau of Investigation-Southern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-Semro) has launched an investigation into two Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers assigned to the Davao International Airport over their possible involvement in an alleged human trafficking attempt intercepted earlier this week.
NBI-Semro Regional Director lawyer Arcelito “Archie” Albao confirmed that the Immigration agency is extending full cooperation in the case.
“Based on our coordination yesterday, the Bureau of Immigration was very cooperative. They were the ones who encouraged the two Immigration officers to voluntarily submit for investigation, and the two officers went to our office,” Albao told Davao reporters during the Davao Peace and Security Press Corp press briefing on August 12, 2025.
According to Albao, one of the officers is a male who has been assigned to Davao for a long time, while the other is a female from North Cotabato who has been stationed there for only two years.
He clarified that the two officers were not arrested alongside the alleged recruiters, but are currently just being investigated.
“We couldn’t get a statement from them to confirm if there was indeed communication with these two [officers], so that’s why we released them,” he explained.
Albao said this is the first time their office has investigated Immigration officers. He also disclosed that the suspected recruiters are from both Davao and Manila.
The investigation began after three rescued victims identified the two Immigration officers as the contacts of their recruiters. However, Albao noted that the victims had no direct contact with the officers, which is why authorities are focusing on arresting the recruiters to obtain more information.
The three women were stopped at the airport before boarding a flight to Singapore, where they were allegedly set to work in a bar without the necessary documents, including a visa, employment contract, and clearances from the Department of Migrant Workers and other government agencies.
Currently, Albao said the NBI is continuing its hot pursuit operations against the recruiters. He added that based on their findings, the Immigration personnel were allegedly meant to facilitate and escort the victims through the airport to avoid them being offloaded. DEF