June 1, 2023 | 8:09 pm
TWO women victims of a human trafficking scheme, wherein they were instructed to pose as seafarers but were bound to work as call center agents in Laos, were recently intercepted by authorities at the Clark International Airport, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Thursday
“The women initially claimed they were sea-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) recruited to work in Thailand, and presented spurious documents to mislead immigration officers,” the BI said in a statement.
The immigration bureau earlier said there was an increase in Filipinos being trafficked to Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, who were forced to work as call center agents for online scam operations.
“The modus operandi here is for the victims to initially fly to Thailand where they would then board their connecting flight to Laos,” Immigration Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco said.
The victims were turned over to the country’s council against trafficking, which will provide legal assistance to pursue lawsuits against the recruiters.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last month ordered the anti-trafficking council to thwart the “business of human trafficking” with the private sector.
He cited the need to maintain the Philippines’ Tier 1 status, which means the country fully complies with minimum standards against trafficking.
The United States Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Office conducts a yearly assessment to monitor the efforts of all countries in fighting human trafficking. It provides each country with a grade according to a three-tier scale.
In the first two months of the year, 57 departures from the country’s international airports were tagged as possible cases of human trafficking, based on BI data. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
March –
IT’S WOMEN’S MONTH!
“Respect and support women
every day of the year/s!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
Women’s Role in History Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Environmental Week;
Women’s Week
Week 3: Philippine Industry and “
Made-in-the-Philippines Products Week
Last Week: Protection and Gender-Fair Treatment
of the Girl Child Week
Daily Observances:
March 8: Women’s Rights and
International Peace Day;
National Women’s Day
March 4: Employee Appreciation Day
March 15: World Consumer Rights Day
March 18: Global Recycling Day
March 21: International Day for the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
March 23: International Day for the Right to the Truth
Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations
and for the Dignity of Victims
March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the
Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
March 27: Earth Hour
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