The Bureau of Immigration (BI) barred four Filipino women from leaving the country on suspicion that they would be trafficked to work as waitresses in China.
The women, whose identities were withheld in accordance with anti-trafficking laws, were intercepted last April 21 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
They initially presented themselves as tourists bound for Hong Kong but later confessed that they were recruited to work as waitresses in China.
The victims claimed they were lured into the scheme by a Taiwanese woman they met through WeChat, a messaging and social media platform.
The Taiwanese woman allegedly promised them lucrative jobs as waitresses in China.
The victims said they were instructed to pose as tourists and were supposed to receive their visas for China upon arrival in Hong Kong, where they would then proceed to work illegally.
“These women were deceived into agreeing into the scheme to work abroad…But in reality, they were being trafficked for exploitation and illegal employment,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.
“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on the most vulnerable members of society. We will continue to work tirelessly to thwart these criminal activities and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he added.
The BI said victims were turned over to the inter-agency council against trafficking for further investigation and assistance.