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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BI intercepts at NAIA illegally recruited minor bound for Saudi Arabia

BI intercepts at NAIA illegally recruited minor bound for Saudi Arabia

Published Jan 31, 2026 03:14 pm
An illegally recruited 17-year-old woman, who was bound for Saudia Arabia to work as a household helper, was intercepted last Jan. 24 by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The BI identified her as Zia who was turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and for the tracking down of her illegal recruiter.
It said that Zia’s passport indicates that she is already 25 years old and a resident of Maguindanao del Sur.
However, when interrogated she presented a birth certificate which shows she is merely 17 years old and, thus, underage and ineligible for overseas employment, the BI said.
Zia confessed that she was hired by a recruitment agency based in Pasay City.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that Zia’s rescue underscores the administration’s firm stance against the exploitation of vulnerable Filipinos.
Viado warned: “This administration will not allow traffickers and illegal recruiters to prey on our children. We will remain relentless in protecting Filipinos from being trafficked, deceived, or deployed illegally. Anyone who thinks they can falsify documents and slip through our borders is gravely mistaken.”
He assured that the BI will work closely with IACAT and other partner agencies to ensure that those involved in illegal deployment are held fully accountable.
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