A Filipina was barred from leaving the country after she was caught using a fake certificate from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that the 23-year-old Filipina, whose name was not disclosed, was intercepted by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 before she could board her flight to Japan.
“Our officers saw inconsistencies in her document, prompting them to submit it for verification with the CFO,” said Viado.
The BI said the Filipina claimed to be going to Japan to visit her Japanese husband in Nogaya.
It said the Filipina presented to immigration officers a CFO Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP) certificate which is required for departing immigrants.
“The BI-CFO joint system facilitated real-time verification, and confirmed that the certificate number presented did not exist,” it also said.
“During a follow-up interview, the victim admitted that she had purchased the document through a fixer online for her upcoming international travel,” it added.
The intercepted Filipina has been referred to the Inter-Agency Against Trafficking (IACAT) for the filing of appropriate charges against those who provided the fake document.