By Osias Osorio
BUREAU of Immigration (BI) officers intercepted a Filipina bound for the Netherlands at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last Tuesday after presenting a passport with a fake departure stamp.
BI Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) Chief Mary Jane Hizon said the 37-year-old Pinay presented herself as a tourist bound for the Netherlands.
However, upon presenting her passport for inspection, officers noted the suspicious immigration clearance stamp on it.
Upon verification with the BI’s forensic documents laboratory, they confirmed the stamp was counterfeit.
The woman alleged that she sought the services of a fixer she met at the lobby of NAIA 3, who offered her immigration assistance.
She said the fixer asked her to submit her passport and meet another colleague who was wearing a white shirt and a face mask. The fixer then returned the victim’s passport and asked her to wait at the entrance for the supposed escort. She was made to wait for 45 minutes but no one approached her.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned victims not to fall for such offers.
“These fixers will promise quick processing by circumventing laws. If you want to work abroad, do so legally and do not be enticed by these offers,” Viado said.
The victim was turned over to the inter-agency council against trafficking for assistance.
