(Eagle News) — Bureau of Immigration officers stopped a Filipino national it said was a victim of illegal recruitment bound for Dubai.
In a statement, the bureau said the man, who was not identified in compliance with human trafficking and illegal recruitment laws, attempted to depart via an Emirates Airlines flight from Clark International Airport on April 5.
The bureau said he presented an overseas employment certificate (OEC) as a Balik Manggagawa, but a check showed that his previous work visa had already been cancelled.
The victim instead, the bureau said, had an active tourist visa.
“This is an obvious circumvention of the law, and victims are promised that they can depart using their old OECs that are, in fact, invalid already,” Bureau chief Jaime Morente said.
Instead, he said the victims “end up working for a different employer, or worse, fly off to a third country like Iraq or Syria.”
Morente commended the immigration officers for their “quick eye.”
The victim was turned over to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Labor Assistance Center Pampanga for assistance, the bureau said.