The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) has been asked to investigate a human trafficking scheme on falsification of the age of Filipinas applying as household service workers abroad.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the move was made after a Filipina was stopped from flying to Oman after she was found to have falsified her age in her travel documents.

“We are worried that this might mean that there is a resurgence of the modus,” said Tansingco in a statement.  

“Hence we are forwarding this to the proper authorities for further investigation to be able to catch these recruiters,” he said. 

A person must be at least 24 years old to be deployed as a household service worker abroad, he also said.

A woman identified only as "Lia" was intercepted at the aiport by immigration officers last Jan. 22. 

“Our alert primary inspection officer noticed that she seemed very young compared to her presented document, and thus she was referred for secondary inspection,” Tansingco said. 

“The immigration officers had reason to believe that she is underage, given the numerous inconsistencies in her statements and passpors,” he said. 

He also said that "Lia" presented herself as already 30 years old and said she will be going to Oman as a household service worker.

Later during secondary inspection, "Lia admitted that her passport, birth certificate, and other documents were processed in Marawi through an agent,” Tansingco said.  

He added: "Lia said that she has been staying in an accommodation owned by her agency in Paranaque City for six months, and that all her documents were merely handed to her outside the airport right before her flight."