Neil Alcober··2 MIN READ
Three Filipino men allegedly recruited for military and border guard positions in Eastern Europe were intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) after discovering inconsistencies in their declared travel plans before their scheduled departure from Davao International Airport on 17 October.
The BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section at the airport reported the incident to Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado after questioning revealed that the passengers’ stated purpose of travel did not match their alleged intended destination and employment.
The three men, identified by the aliases Johnny, 25; Berting, 51; and Tappy, 50, 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 their accounts, individuals identified as Alexander and Oleg had sponsored their travel expenses and arranged their recruitment. Some of the men reportedly said they had encountered the recruiters through Facebook and Telegram. They also claimed that their European electronic visas would be provided while they were in Thailand.
One of the men further disclosed that they had initially been told on October 13 to depart through a supposed “backdoor” route in Zamboanga. The plan was later changed to air travel through Davao.
The three men were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking at Davao International Airport for further investigation into the circumstances of their recruitment and intended overseas employment.
Viado stressed the importance of vigilance when accepting overseas job offers, particularly those involving unusual travel arrangements or employment in high-risk sectors.
“Filipinos must be cautious of recruiters who promise high salaries but provide unclear employment arrangements or questionable travel plans. Before accepting any overseas job offer, they should verify the legitimacy of the employer and recruitment agency with the Department of Migrant Workers," Viado said.
"We will continue working with our partner agencies to help prevent illegal recruitment and protect Filipinos from possible exploitation,” the BI chief added.
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