MANILA — Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 intercepted an individual on Monday for an alleged attempt at illegal overseas employment.
According to Philippines News Agency, a statement on Tuesday revealed that a 36-year-old female was prevented from boarding a flight to Hong Kong where she claimed she intended to purchase items for her online retail business. The woman, posing as an online seller, presented a certificate of employment from a local apparel company that was later found to be counterfeit. During secondary inspection, immigration officers noted discrepancies in her travel history and documents, which were allegedly received through Facebook Messenger. She ultimately confessed that her travel and employment documents were falsified and that she had been recruited to work as a caregiver in Malta via an online job portal, without undergoing the lawful process. In her possession was a passport containing a Malta employment visa, contradicting her initial tourism claim. The victim has been entrusted to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to receive support and to assist in legal action against her recruiter. BI's Tansingco has reiterated warnings against accepting overseas employment offers through non-official channels.