Immigration stops abused Pinays from going to Malaysia

Three Malaysia-bound women believed to be victims of human trafficking were prevented from leaving the Philippines, Bureau of Immigration officials said Thursday. The women were supposed to board M/V Danica Joy, which was off to Sabah in Malaysia, last May 8, according to Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. David refused to divulge the names of the three women, citing a provision in the anti-human trafficking law prohibiting the public disclosure of victims. The women, who had expressed willingness to work abroad again, had no passports and travel documents, said Sitti Rubaina Lutian, alien control officer in BI-Zamboanga. Lutian recalled that one of the victims was previously offloaded from a plane at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last April 27 for disguising as a tourist. The woman's recruiter, only identified as Lyn, then instructed her to fly to Zamboanga the next day so she could join the two other women in sneaking out of the country. At the investigation, the women said they never spend anything for their trip as their recruiter would later deduct the expenses from their salaries abroad. The women were later turned over to the Visayan Forum, a non-government organization that provides legal and humanitarian aid to victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment, the bureau said. — JE, GMA News