BI intercepts 3 Filipinos bound for Eastern Europe
Three Filipinos who were allegedly offered military work in Eastern Europe were intercepted at Davao International Airport before their scheduled departure, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday.
In a statement, the BI said the three were stopped from leaving on Oct. 17 after agents found a mismatch, upon questioning, between the passengers’ stated purpose of travel and their intended destination and employment.
The passengers, all male, were identified by the aliases “Johnny,” 25; .“Berting,” 51; and “Tappy,” 50
The bureau said they “initially claimed they were traveling to Thailand to participate in or coach a Muay Thai tournament. Further questioning reportedly revealed that they intended to proceed to Eastern Europe, where they had allegedly been promised monthly salaries of P200,000 to work as soldiers or border guards.”
According to the BI, they claimed further that their travel was paid for by “Alexander” and “Oleg,” recruiters introduced to them through Facebook and Telegram.
They also said their European electronic visas would be provided once they arrived in Thailand.
‘Be cautious of recruiters’
The BI quoted as well one of the passengers as saying that they were initially advised on Oct. 13 to depart through a supposed “backdoor” route in Zamboanga City. “The plan was later changed to air travel through Davao,” he said.
The three will undergo further questioning, the bureau said.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado again warned Filipinos seeking to work abroad against suspicious job offers.
“Filipinos must be cautious of recruiters who promise high salaries but provide unclear employment arrangements or questionable travel plans,” Viado said.
“Before accepting any overseas job offer, they should verify the legitimacy of the employer and recruitment agency with the Department of Migrant Workers,” he added.
‘Pose as tourists’
Bureau agents earlier intercepted a 50-year-old Filipino bound for Russia.
He was scheduled to depart on Oct. 10 via a Cathay Pacific flight to Vietnam from Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
The passenger said he had accepted a job in Russia as a K9 handler.
But according to the bureau, “further questioning” revealed he had been contacted by a recruiter through WhatsApp and “was instructed to pose as a tourist to conceal his intended employment.”
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the country’s military intelligence agency, said earlier this month that a number of Philippine nationals have been reported killed while serving Russian forces.
Meanwhile, Philippine authorities have warned Filipinos against being lured by human trafficking into foreign armed conflicts, including Russia’s war on Ukraine.
