A total of 27 Vietnamese, who were rescued from human trafficking in the Philippines, have returned to their country on Tuesday, Dec. 19, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
In a statement, the BI said the 27 Vietnamese were repatriated after more than a month since they were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 last Oct. 31.
“Of the 27 victims, 21 departed for Hanoi via a Cebu Pacific flight, while the remaining six departed for Ho Chi Minh City via a Philippine Airlines flight,” the bureau said.
Their Philippine visas have been cancelled, it said.
When intercepted at NAIA, BIO said the "Vietnamese were accompanied by one Chinese handler, two Filipino drivers, and one Filipino translator.”
“The traffickers had reportedly intended to sell the victims to a company based in Cebu City,” it said.
Seven more Vietnamese are still in the country pending their repatriation, it also said.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco assured that the bureau remains committed to fighting human trafficking.
“We will not be a haven for those seeking to perpetuate such criminal acts,” he said.
He assured that "the BI stands firm in its commitment to dismantle trafficking networks and safeguard the welfare of those vulnerable individuals."