Pasay city: A 25-year-old male trafficking victim was intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City after posing as a local government employee who intended to go on a leisure trip.

According to Philippines News Agency, the victim revealed that his recruiters instructed him to impersonate a government employee to bypass airport checks. He was attempting to leave for Hong Kong on Thursday, claiming to be a tourist. He presented a travel authority from the Quezon City Hall, asserting to be an employee on a personal holiday.

However, I-PROBES officers noticed discrepancies in his statements, leading them to conduct secondary checks. During the inspection, the victim admitted that his actual intention was to work abroad. He had responded to a Facebook advertisement offering overseas employment.

He further disclosed that he was contacted by a Filipino recruiter who provided him with fake documents for PHP4,000. The documents were handed over to him at a fast food establishment near NAIA.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado issued a warning to aspiring overseas workers against using falsified documents to avoid inspection. He emphasized that immigration officers are well-trained in identifying fraud, document inconsistencies, and deceptive travel patterns during inspections. He also cautioned that engaging in illegal work abroad poses significant risks, including exploitation, trafficking, and criminal prosecution.