7 BI PERSONNEL LINKED TO TRAFFICKING AXED

SEVEN employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday were ordered relieved from their post for alleged involvement in the illegal exit of at least 200 Filipinos who were recently rescued in Myanmar after allegedly falling victim to human trafficking.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the sacked employees are being investigated as to how the victims were able to depart the Philippines.

Viado said the relieved personnel were assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals 1 and 3.

“This is part of our internal cleansing to rid the Bureau of personnel engaged in illegal activities,” Viado said.

Thirty of the trafficked victims were repatriated on March 25 on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand after being rescued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from a crime ring in Myanmar.

The victims were recruited by online scamming syndicates in Myanmar.

Viado said that despite strict security checks at the NAIA, the BI still experiences challenges in spotting trafficking victims, many of whom pose as legitimate tourists.

“Traffickers are looking for ways to evade inspection,” the BI chief said.

According to Viado, there is a need for a whole-of-government approach in dismantling trafficking networks, starting at the grassroots level.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday repatriated 176 more victims of scam hubs in Myanmar.

The government has repatriated a total of 206 Filipino victims of scam hubs in Myanmar. Another 59 are set to return home soon.