Bureau of Immigration (File photo)
MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Pampanga has intercepted a suspected human trafficker and eight of her victims recruited to work in Israel.
In a Friday news release, the BI’s immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) reported that the female trafficker attempted to depart with the victims on board an Emirates airlines flight at the Clark International Airport (CRK) Terminal 2 in the guise of a pilgrimage to the said country last April 23.
According to the victims, they were enticed to work as hospital and hotel cleaners “in a safer part of Israel” with a promised monthly salary of PHP60,000 to PHP80,000.
Last year, the country placed Israel under crisis Alert level 2, wherein only returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with existing employment contracts are allowed to go back to their destination and resume their employment.
Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the recruiter should be put behind bars for putting her victims in harm’s way.
“All for money, this recruiter has made her victims agree to such circumstances despite the major life risk,” he said in a statement.
“She should face what she did in court, and must be jailed to serve as an example not to prey on the vulnerabilities of our fellow Filipinos.”
The passengers were turned over to the inter-agency council against trafficking (IACAT) for processing. The victims will be given assistance, while the recruiter faces human trafficking cases. (PNA)
