The Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted multiple Filipino trafficking victims who were illegally recruited as soldiers overseas recently.

On March 31, a man, 52, was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 after primary inspection officers identified discrepancies in his statements.

He initially claimed he was a tourist travelling abroad to visit a friend. However, when interviewed by the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) during a secondary inspection, he disclosed that he was an army reservist recruited to work in a foreign military through Facebook.

The victim said he was told to say he was a tourist and offered a monthly salary of $2,500 and a sign-on bonus of $25,000.

Two more victims, aged 38 and 39, were also prevented from boarding their Cebu Pacific flight at the Clark International Airport Terminal 2 the next day.

They were bound for Bangkok, Thailand and told authorities they were former work colleagues going on vacation. It was later discovered that both were recruited online to serve as soldiers abroad, and promised a monthly salary of $1,500 and a joining bonus at $30,000.

The victims revealed they were contacted through a Facebook group and communicated with the recruiters through WhatsApp. The recruiters instructed the two to fly to Thailand and await further travel arrangements.

On April 5, two more men, ages 49 and 50, were stopped at the NAIA Terminal 3, with authorities later learning they intended to work abroad as soldiers by crossing through Ethiopia.

On April 12, another victim, 51, was intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 1. He was bound for China, meaning to cross the country to work as a soldier overseas.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned against the scheme, calling it dangerous.

“Our officers remain vigilant in detecting these schemes at the borders. This interception likely saved lives from being placed in extreme danger,” he stated.

“This is a deeply alarming trend. These groups are deceiving Filipinos into working as armed personnel in undisclosed locations, putting their lives at serious risk. We strongly warn the public: do not fall for offers that sound too good to be true, especially those recruited through social media,” he added.

All victims have been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and legal action against their recruiters.