ILLEGAL RECRUITER, 8 VICTIMS INTERCEPTED AT CLARK AIRPORT

A female "illegal recruiter" and her eight "victims" who posed as pilgrims going to Israel were intercepted at the Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga last April 23, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday, April 26.

The "illegal recruiter" was arrested and will be charged with large scale illegal recruitment under Republic Act No. 8042 as amended. Assistance will be given to the "victims," the BI said.

She and her eight "victims" were turned over to the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). Their names were withheld.

“She should face what she did in court and must be jailed to serve as an example not to prey on the vulnerabilities of our fellow Filipinos,” stressed BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco in a statement.

Tansingco said those intercepted claimed they will go to Israel as pilgrims. But, the commissioner said, the Philippines placed Israel under crisis Alert Level 2 which means only returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) with existing employment contracts are allowed to go back to their destination and resume their employment.

“The victims later admitted that they will work as hospital and hotel cleaners upon their arrival in Israel with a promised monthly salary of ₱60,000 to ₱80,000,” the BI said.

“The recruiter reportedly worked as a travel agent, and enticed the victims to work under such circumstances,” it said.

It also said that one of the "victims" recounted that the "illegal recruiter promised that they will be employed in a safer part of Israel.”