Immigration revamp, more welfare offices needed vs human trafficking

Overseas Filipino workers arrive on September 6, 2022 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Kuwait through the government’s repatriation program.

STAR / Rudy Santos

MANILA, Philippines — Illegal recruitment for a cryptocurrency syndicate in Cambodia could have been stopped by more stringent immigration checks and by verification by Philippine government agencies in their destination country.

One victim of the fake job recruitment said the Chinese syndicate behind it was able to recruit and deploy workers illegally because of a contact at the Bureau of Immigration. "Ron", who testified at the Senate on Wednesday, said they were able to get official documents, such as the Overseas Employment Certificate, from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration easily.

"Rachel specifically said they hand out bribes to an immigration officer so that the Filipino could be deployed without issue, but she did not mention the names of their contact in the immigration office," Ron also said, referring to Rachel Almendra Luna, who allegedly acted as a human resources officer in the scheme while in Cambodia. 

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/25/2240149/immigration-revamp-more-welfare-offices-needed-vs-human-trafficking