FOUR Filipinos supposedly recruited for high-paying security and military jobs in Russia were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after immigration officers uncovered discrepancies in their declared travel plans, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday.
Stopped in two separate incidents at NAIA Terminal 1 on Sept. 18 and 19, the four passengers were subsequently assessed as possible victims of human trafficking.
The first three passengers were traveling together on Sept. 18 and initially declared Thailand as their destination.
During secondary inspection, one of the three disclosed that Russia was his actual destination, saying he had been recruited through a Facebook post for a security job that promised a monthly salary of P70,000.
On Sept. 19, BI officers intercepted another passenger who was traveling to Vietnam, according to his declared itinerary.
Further questioning revealed that Russia was his intended destination and that he had been recruited for military service there.
He was promised P150,000 a month, Russian citizenship after one year, and additional bonuses for completing a special mission.
The passengers were eventually turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) for further assessment, investigation and assistance.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado urged Filipinos to verify overseas employment offers through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and its licensed recruitment agencies before accepting jobs or leaving the country.
“Filipinos should exercise extreme caution when dealing with online job offers, particularly those that promise unusually high salaries, immediate deployment, or other benefits without proper documentation,” Viado said.
He also urged prospective overseas workers to verify both the recruitment agency and the corresponding job order through official DMW channels.
The BI said the interceptions form part of its intensified border-control efforts to prevent human trafficking and illegal recruitment and protect Filipinos from exploitation.
