Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Davao International Airport have stopped five Filipinos from boarding their flight to Singapore on strong suspicion that they were human trafficking victims.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said it was established during the second inspection that the passengers' final destination was Dubai.
They were supposed to meet a certain "Acmed" who is a former employer of one of the intercepted passengers.
The BI chief said it is very important that employers be verified with the Department of Migrant Workers to avoid falling into the hands of traffickers.
“Our fellow Filipinos have been enslaved abroad without proper food and compensation. Some have even been physically and mentally abused," he said.
Tansingco reiterated his advice to aspiring overseas workers to check the authenticity of the job offer with proper labor office of the government.