A Filipina, who was allegedly a victim of the mail-order bride scheme, was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before she could board her flight to Xiamen, China.
Also intercepted by immigration officers was the Filipina’s male companion. They were not identified by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) which turned them over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
Based on the report submitted by the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said the Filipina, 24, claimed to be travelling with her brother to be reunited with her husband in China.
Viado said the Filipina presented a marriage certificate as proof of the civil wedding which was corroborated by her alleged brother.
However, Viado said, immigration officers noticed discrepancies in the documents she presented because the certificate “showed a visibly altered date, and the marriage license was issued after the wedding.”
The I-PROBES’ report stated that after interrogation, the Filipina admitted that the marriage and the certificate were fake.
“She then recounted receiving ₱8,000 from the Chinese national following the ceremony, which was meant to cover the expenses she had shouldered. She said a recruiter promised her a better life if she agreed to the arranged marriage with the Chinese man,” the report also stated.
Because of this latest interception at NAIA, Viado warned the public anew against falling prey to the mail-order bride scheme.