Senate to investigate ‘backdoor’ illegal recruitment, human trafficking

In a privilege speech, Senator Raffy Tulfo tells the story of a group of OFWs who were trafficked out of the country via boat into Malaysia and towards Thailand before supposedly boarding a flight for Europe

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate committees on labor and justice are set to investigate “backdoor” illegal recruitment and human trafficking, particularly how the Philippines’ porous borders have allowed Filipino workers to be trafficked out of the country, among other national security concerns.

In a privilege speech delivered to the Senate plenary on Wednesday, September 11, Senate migrant workers committee chair Raffy Tulfo told the story of a group of aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who approached his office after pursuing what they believed were job opportunities in Europe, but were taken through a long and dangerous trip through Southeast Asia along the way.

Tulfo explained that their story began in October 2023, when the aspiring OFWs came across a Facebook post advertising employment in Europe. They were charged processing fees amounting to P400,000.

“There were times when the group of OFWs inquired about some irregularities in the processing of their papers, but the recruiters kept on saying they knew people in the DMW (Department of Migrant Workers). The recruiters confidently assured the group that they will get to Europe legally,” said Tulfo.

After almost a year of alleged processing, the OFWs began traveling on August 6. This was their journey:

• August 6
  • Commercial flight from Manila to Zamboanga
• August 7
  • Commercial flight from Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi
  • Tricycle going to Bongao Port
  • Motorboat going to Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi
  • Rested in a house at Sitangkai
  • Left aboard a boat, and stopped at a house “in the middle of the water”
• August 8
  • Continued the journey aboard the boat, when one of the women in the group was molested by one of the boatmen. Afraid of being “thrown over the boat,” she did not make a scene, but moved to a different spot in the boat when she got the chance.
  • Arrived in Semporna, Sabah by nighttime
  • Picked up by vans that brought them to Kota Kinabalu
  • At Kota Kinabalu, recruiters covered their faces and gave them IDs that belonged to other people for showing at checkpoints
• August 9 to 13
  • Settled down at a hotel in Kota Kinabalu
• August 13
  • Flew to Kuala Lumpur, and upon arrival, were told which immigration counter to go to. Their passports were stamped but “did not appear in the system.”
• August 14 to 23
  • Stayed in a condominium in Kuala Lumpur
• August 23
  • Traveled to Changlun, a town bordering Thailand, where they stayed until August 29
• August 29
  • Approached the Thai border, where a man joined their vehicle and gave instructions to leave their luggages behind and go down a ravine
  • From the ravine, they hid in a tunnel, and after some time continued to cross a muddy river
  • From the river, they climbed “four mountains” and traveled by foot for around six hours. One of the Filipinos fell unconscious, and the guide said to abandon them, but the group did not agree.
  • Crossed the Thai border
  • Upon crossing the Thai border, a person with a motorcycle was waiting for them, and brought them to the Pedang Besar Customs and Immigration, where again, they were told which officer to approach. Their passports were stamped.
  • Brought to a hotel to settle down
• August 31
• September 1
  • Went to the airport for their supposed flight to Europe, but immigration officers were suspicious since they did not have any luggage
  • Upon calling their recruiters, the recruiters tried to extort more money to fix their problems at immigration
  • Called their families because of a threat from their recruiters that if they did not give more money, they would “run into problems” because there were allegedly drugs in the luggages that they left behind
• September 5
  • Contacted Tulfo’s office
• September 6
  • Returned to the Philippines

Tulfo, whose radio program often receives calls from OFWs in distress, said that the OFWs’ story was an indictment of the Philippines’ weak border security and the lack of regulation over privately operated maritime travel.

He noted that with the Philippines being an archipelago, any beach of its over 7,000 islands could serve as an entry and exit point.

“Without the proper border security, we are a hub for human trafficking, smuggling, escape route and hide-out for fugitives, drug operations, and so much more,” said Tulfo.

Tulfo also spoke coming from the high of emotions among his colleagues at the Senate following dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo’s return to the Senate inquiry on raided Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) on Monday, September 9.

Guo, who has links to the raided POGOs and faces complaints of human trafficking, money laundering, and faking her Filipino citizenship, also testified to leaving the Philippines via boat before she was arrested in Indonesia and taken back to the country.

“While we are enraged with what Alice Guo and her POGO cohorts have done to our government systems, there is a bigger picture to this backdoor problem and immigration crisis that we have. As we speak, there are hundreds more like these aspiring OFWs being preyed upon by disgusting scammers and human traffickers,” he said.

For now, Tulfo said he was working closely with the DMW, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine Coast Guard to get to the bottom of the human trafficking issue.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino moved to refer Tulfo’s privilege speech to the committees on labor and justice, which was approved after no objection was raised. – Rappler.com