MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday warned Filipinos who want to work overseas against abusive setup encountered by Filipino trafficking victims in Asian countries.
“They were literally enslaved... They were only allowed to use their phones for two hours in a day," BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.
Tansingco particularly referred to the recent report involving a 30-year-old Filipino trafficking victim, who was repatriated from Myanmar on Wednesday.
"He was required to pay more than half a million pesos for his release, which he negotiated and paid only more than PHP168,000 for his freedom,” he said.
According to the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), the male victim was required to work 16 to 18 hours a day for a love scam and cryptocurrency company.
"He was required to reach a weekly quota, otherwise, would be subjected to physical torture like push-ups, squat jumps, and electrocution," the BI said.
It was last August 2022 when he left the country bound for Thailand, but was redirected to Myanmar via sea transport.
Tansingco said the victim was illegally recruited last year through social media.
However, he said this is not an isolated case for Filipino workers.
Tansingco said similar trafficking schemes for scam work abroad were discussed among immigration leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“This is a regional issue, and we have discussed ways to combat this with other countries that have observed this as well,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tansingco raised the possibility that such operations may be linked to big syndicates, as it reached the country.
“We have raised the issue to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for investigation so we may put a stop to this syndicate,” he said.
On Aug. 2, authorities raided a Philippine offshore gaming operator service provider in Pasay City wherein around 650 Filipino and foreign workers were found.
Among the workers caught was a former rescued Filipino human trafficking victim from Myanmar.
Based on the report, Pasay hub workers were found to be engaged in love scams, investment fraud schemes and gaming manipulation. (PNA)
