MANILA — Three female victims of human trafficking, recruited to work as entertainers in Singapore, were rescued by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Davao International Airport (DIA) on Tuesday.
BI immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) personnel reported that two of the victims were in their 20s, while one was 18 years old. Two of them are from Luzon and traveled to Davao for the trip.
They were stopped by front-line officers after attempting to board a Scoot Airlines flight to Singapore. The trio initially claimed to be working together and traveling for a holiday for five days. However, verification confirmed that they have been recruited to work as entertainers in Singapore.
One of them narrated how her neighbor in Davao introduced her to a Manila-based contact, who facilitated their illegal travel. They stated that they did not pay anything for their recruitment, but were told that expenses of 5,000 Singapore dollars would be deducted from their salary.
“This is a form of debt bondage. Hindi ka pa umaalis, may utang ka na (You already have debt even if you haven't even left yet). This is a clear case of human trafficking, wherein our kababayan (compatriots) are made to agree to unfair arrangements. In many cases, women who are promised work as entertainers are later forced to work in the sex trade,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement on Wednesday.
The BI reported that the investigation identified two possible recruiters who arranged their travel.
“We commend the swift action of our immigration officers who thwarted this attempt to traffic women out of the country only to be exploited abroad. This interception shows that our multiple layers of security (are) effective in stopping any such attempts,” Viado said.
“We likewise thank the National Bureau of Investigation in Davao and our partners in the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) who are continuing the investigation so the appropriate charges will be filed against those who are responsible.”
The three victims were turned over to the IACAT in the DIA. PNA