Bureau-of-Immigration

Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) relieved seven personnel from their post for suspected involvement in the trafficking of Filipino workers in Myanmar.</p><p>The employees, assigned to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals 1 and 3, are under investigation for allegedly facilitating the illegal departure of trafficking victims, who returned to the Philippines on March 25.</p><p>“If found guilty of assisting the victims, the employees will face charges before the Department of Justice,” the BI said in a statement.</p><p>The victims were rescued from online scam syndicates operating in Myanmar and arrived in Manila on a Philippine Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand.</p><p>BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado acknowledged the challenge of identifying trafficking victims at airports, particularly those from affluent backgrounds who often disguise themselves as legitimate tourists.</p><p>“He said syndicates have adapted by recruiting individuals with clean travel records, making it harder for immigration officers to detect potential victims.”</p><p>In 2024, the BI intercepted 1,093 trafficking victims, all of whom were referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and legal action against their recruiters.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/2/20/myanmar-scam-center-survivors-recall-torture-and-coercion-1003">Myanmar scam center survivors recall torture and coercion</a></div><p>Viado said the fight against human trafficking requires a whole-of-government approach to dismantle criminal networks, starting at the grassroots level.</p><p>He also warned that traffickers continue to exploit backdoor routes to evade stricter immigration controls.</p><p>Viado reiterated the need for strong border security and interagency cooperation to combat human trafficking.</p><div><br/></div><p>Earlier this month, the BI reported the repatriation of three trafficking victims from Cambodia, who were forced to work in scam hubs.</p><p>Investigations revealed they had no official departure records, having been smuggled by boat from Jolo, Sulu, to Sabah, Malaysia, before traveling to Cambodia through Malaysia and Thailand.</p><p>“Traffickers are always looking for ways to evade detection,” Viado said.</p><p>“It is crucial that we remain vigilant and work together across agencies to stop these criminal activities.”</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/18/187-victims-of-myanmar-scam-hubs-to-come-home-dfa-1830">187 victims of Myanmar scam hubs to come home: DFA</a></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2J8OsvfUu2Y" title="Filipina held by scam hub operators in Myanmar seeks help from PH gov&#x27;t | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Bureau of Immigration (BI) relieved seven personnel from their post for suspected involvement in the trafficking of Filipino workers to Myanmar.</p>

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) relieved seven personnel from their post for suspected involvement in the trafficking of Filipino workers to Myanmar.

7 immigration personnel relieved from post over alleged trafficking links | ABS-CBN

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7 immigration personnel relieved from post over alleged trafficking links

7 immigration personnel relieved from post over alleged trafficking links

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 26, 2025 09:45 AM PHT

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