THREE human trafficking victims were barred from leaving by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last August 5, 2023.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, citing a report from the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-Probes), said that the three male victims, all in their early 40s and late 30s, initially claimed to be tourists bound for Hong Kong on board a Cathay Pacific flight at the NAIA Terminal 3.

It was learned that all of them initially claimed to be employed in the construction industry locally, and are each traveling alone for a vacation but upon interview, it was found out that they were bound for Ethiopia for employment.

The victims said they were promised high-paying jobs, but were instructed to pose as tourists. They were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in filing cases against their recruiter.

“We urge anyone who knows of or suspects human trafficking to report it to the BI or to the IACAT. We will not tolerate this crime and we will do everything we can to protect our kababayans from being exploited,” said Tansingco.