Parañaque City - Philippine immigration officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) intercepted six Filipinos posing as pilgrims bound for Jordan. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Friday that the individuals were stopped from boarding a Philippine Airlines flight to Amman, Jordan, by members of the BI's immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) at NAIA Terminal 1 on Thursday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco revealed inconsistencies in the travelers' statements and lack of knowledge about their travel itinerary.
Two of the passengers had previously been prevented from flying in September due to discrepancies in their statements and documentation. Tansingco disclosed that these individuals were part of a group of 'pilgrims,' ten of whom have not returned to the Philippines and are now presumably working abroad. Investigations confirmed that the group was traveling to Jordan for employment, having paid significant sums to an alleged pastor who arranged their trip. This pastor was also identified by the group that left in September as the organizer of their supposed pilgrimage. The case has been forwarded to the inter-agency council against trafficking (IACAT), with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) set to continue probing the modus. This incident follows a similar case in 2011 when the BI intercepted six Filipinas bound for Lebanon, posing as nuns, to work as household service workers.