01-08-2025
BI Rescues 3 Filipinos Bound for Illegal Work in Spain, Nabs Overstaying Korean National
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted three Filipino human trafficking victims at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) who were allegedly attempting to travel to Spain for illegal work. The victims — two men and one woman in their 30s and 40s — were stopped by officers before boarding an Emirates flight.
The trio initially claimed they were attending a tech conference abroad, but inconsistencies in their story led to a secondary inspection. Eventually, they admitted that they were recruited through social media and paid over ₱300,000 for fake travel documents and illegal assistance to exit the country.
The BI turned over the victims to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and possible legal action against the recruiter. Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado emphasized that the agency is also probing whether any BI personnel were involved, reiterating their 'one strike policy' against trafficking conspirators.
In a separate operation, immigration officers arrested a 56-year-old South Korean man, Park Yeungtae, in Tubigon, Bohol for overstaying. Park had not updated his immigration status since 2016 and was deemed in violation of the Philippine Immigration Act. He has been transferred to Cebu and will face deportation proceedings. Viado reminded the public that the BI has zero tolerance for immigration law violations, stating, 'Overstaying is not a minor offense.'
