The rescued victims of human trafficking in Kalibo International Airport (KIA) were lured by illegal recruiters through their social media accounts.
Facebook is commonly being used by traffickers in the recruitment of would-be victims, according to Arlyn Siatong, officer-in-charge of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Aklan office here.
One of the victims was befriended by the recruiters using social media with false promises of legitimate and better work opportunities overseas.
Following the rescue operation, Siatong urged the public to be vigilant against illegal recruiters and to report their activities to authorities.
Last January 16, the applicant-victims, aged between 33 and 32 years old from Angeles City, Pampanga and Cawayan, Isabela, reported the alleged illegal recruitment activities to DOLE-Aklan office in Kalibo, Aklan.
“Galing ang mga biktima sa Maynila at hindi nila nakikita personal ang recruiter nila, lahat tawag or text ang instructions sa kanila. Dito lang nila nalaman sa Kalibo na papuntang Lebanon at hindi sa Malaysia sila mag-trabaho...ang dala lang nila ay ang kanilang passports...wala silang ibang dokumento tulad ng overseas employment certificate at employment contract,” Siatong said in radio reports.
(They came from Manila. They did not see their recruiter. All their instructions were given through calls or text messages. It was only here in Kalibo that they learned they were going to Lebanon and not Malaysia…All they brought were their passports…They don't have other documents such as overseas employment certificates and employment contracts.)
Another victim, a returning overseas worker, told the DOLE official that she was surprised by the “recruitment process” and they have no necessary working permits from government agencies.
(They came from Manila. They did not see their recruiter. All their instructions were given through calls or text messages. It was only here in Kalibo that they learned they were going to Lebanon and not Malaysia…All they brought were their passports…They don't have other documents such as overseas employment certificates and employment contracts.)
Another victim, a returning overseas worker, told the DOLE official that she was surprised by the “recruitment process” and they have no necessary working permits from government agencies.
“Dinala namin ang mga applicants sa Kalibo PNP after ng profiling namin dahil naghinala tayo sa proseso ng employment,” Siatong said. (We brought the applicants to Kalibo PNP after our profiling because they became suspicious about the employment process.)
‘ENTRAPMENT OPERATION’
An entrapment operation was spearheaded by Kalibo police, Department of Justice and the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT) as police officers in plain-clothes were deployed also in the airport at around 12:30 p.m. of January 19.
The recruiters were supposed to ‘smuggle out’ the victims without proper work documents to Lebanon via Kalibo International Airport (KIA). However, authorities intercepted them inside the airport’s pre-departure area before their scheduled 3 p.m. flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Ang tatlong biktima na nag-report sa atin at itong pag-apat na biktima ay doon na mismo sa airport nag-kita kita. We never expected na ganoon kabilis na wala ng questioning sa immigration counters...kaagad na tinatakan ang passports ng mga biktima...walang hinanap na documents,” Siatong said.
(The 3 victims reported it to us, and the 4th victim met them at the airport itself. We never expected that it would be so quick, without questioning at the immigration counters…They immediately stamped their passports…They did not look for documents.)
The three applicant-victims, who initially reported the illegal recruitment to DOLE-Aklan office, and another woman victim were taken into custody by the police after the operation.
(The 3 victims reported it to us, and the 4th victim met them at the airport itself. We never expected that it would be so quick, without questioning at the immigration counters…They immediately stamped their passports…They did not look for documents.)
The three applicant-victims, who initially reported the illegal recruitment to DOLE-Aklan office, and another woman victim were taken into custody by the police after the operation.
Three illegal recruiters, tricycle driver, porter were also arrested while two female immigration officers were invited for questioning to the Kalibo municipal police station for their alleged involvement.
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
No comments:
Post a Comment