THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned the public against trafficking syndicates using a new scheme to lure women to work in the sex trade abroad.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued the warning on Sunday following the rescue of a woman who, together with her supposed partner, attempted to depart for Kota Kinabalu at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
The male trafficker and his victim claimed to be live-in partners traveling abroad for a vacation.
Immigration officers, however, noted that the man had a very recent trip to Malaysia. A quick check of his records revealed that he previously left with another female, who he claimed was also his partner, but has not returned to the Philippines yet.
“This seems like another case of the ‘bitbit’ scheme, in which a frequent traveler would attempt to transport a female victim who will be deceived into working as a sex worker abroad,” said Tansingco.
He cited a case wherein the victim illegally boarded a sailboat in Palawan to travel to Malaysia. The victim reportedly traveled through mountainous terrains to reach a hotel in Sibu, Malaysia, where they were housed as sex workers.
“She was held captive. [Sadly], she was subjected to appalling conditions, including being denied food if she failed to satisfy the demands of her captors. She was even forced to undergo an abortion when they discovered she was [pregnant],” Tansingco said.
He called on women not to agree to such terms to be able to work abroad.
Meanwhile, the victim was turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance, while the trafficker faced possible charges for violation of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022.
IACAT is the body mandated by law to coordinate and monitor the implementation of Republic Act 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, with the Department of Justice as the lead agency.
Recently, the IACAT refined the strict implementation of departure formalities for international-bound passengers being implemented by the BI, an adjunct agency of the justice department, to lessen the inconvenience to passengers who sometimes miss their flights.