Three Filipinas were intercepted last March 10 at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga before they could board their flight to Thailand.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the three Filipinas were recruited to work illegally as entertainers in South Korea.  Their names were withheld.

Also detained by immigration officers was the alleged recruiter who accompanied the three Filipinas and who reportedly promised them P40,000 monthly salary.

“There are numerous cases documented wherein victims are promised work as entertainers, but end up in prostitution,” Tansingco said.  

“Aspiring workers should also protect themselves by ensuring that they only apply work through legal means,” he said. 

He also said the three Filipinas and their recruiter have been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) which is expected to file charges against the recruiter.

Citing a report from the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), the BI said the three women initially claimed to be friends going to Thailand as tourists with another female companion.

“Immigration officers noted conflicting statements and referred them for secondary inspection.  During interview, the three victims admitted that their companion is actually their recruiter, and that they were bound for South Korea where they were promised work as singers,” it said.

“The victims lamented that they wanted to process their documents legally, but their recruiter insisted that they pose as tourists and hide their final country of destination,” it also said. 

“According to them, their recruiter planned to escort them to Korea and was supposed to return to the Philippines alone,” it added.