Two alleged trafficking victims intercepted at Clark airport
By Jun Ramirez and Jun Ramirez
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intercepted at the Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga two alleged human trafficking victims who were supposed to go to Singapore.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the two female travelers, aged 25 and 34, were apprehended just moments before they were about to board their flight.
The passengers claimed to be unrelated and stated that they were traveling to Singapore as tourists.
However, upon further investigation, it was found out that the two had active work permits for entertainment purposes in Singapore.
Based on the investigation, the two applied for work online and were later instructed to disguise their true intent by posing as tourists.
According to the victims, they paid P30,000 and P15,000 to facilitate the processing of their documents.
"In many cases, these victims are made to believe that they will be working as entertainers, but many end up forced to work in the sex trade," said Tansingco.
The BI handed over the victims to the CIA Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further legal proceedings against their recruiters.