OFWs dressed as 'nuns' barred at NAIA
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Immigration authorities stopped 6 Filipino overseas workers disguised as nuns from leaving the country.
Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said the women were about to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Hong Kong Thursday night when they were stopped at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3).
Ledesma said the OFWs planned to take a connecting flight to Beirut despite a long standing government ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to the said Middle Eastern country.
He said the women are victims of illegal recruiters “who will not stop using all tricks and employ every scheme to circumvent our ban on the departure of undocumented OFWs.”
In a press statement, the BI said the OFWs were caught after one of them approached the BI counter and was referred by the immigration officer on-duty to his superiors for secondary inspection.
While she was being questioned, members of the BI travel control enforcement unit (TCEU) noticed the presence of 5 other women dressed as nuns who were loitering outside the immigration area premises as if waiting for a cue.
They, too, were invited for questioning. Although they have similar documents, it turned out that the ‘nun’s did not know each other.
The women claimed to be missionaries from the St. Joseph Laud Sta. Maria congregation in Baguio City and alleged that they will attend a 3-day seminar in Hong Kong. They presented a certification purportedly issued by their parish priest.
The agency said the women’s personal appearance gave them away. Immigration officers noticed that one of them was wearing red shoes, a colorful handbag and wore her 'costume' improperly.
They later admitted that they were bound for Lebanon and named a certain “Philip” as their recruiter who brought them to the airport onboard 2 vehicles.
MANILA, Philippines – Immigration authorities stopped 6 Filipino overseas workers disguised as nuns from leaving the country.
Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said the women were about to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Hong Kong Thursday night when they were stopped at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3).
Ledesma said the OFWs planned to take a connecting flight to Beirut despite a long standing government ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to the said Middle Eastern country.
He said the women are victims of illegal recruiters “who will not stop using all tricks and employ every scheme to circumvent our ban on the departure of undocumented OFWs.”
In a press statement, the BI said the OFWs were caught after one of them approached the BI counter and was referred by the immigration officer on-duty to his superiors for secondary inspection.
While she was being questioned, members of the BI travel control enforcement unit (TCEU) noticed the presence of 5 other women dressed as nuns who were loitering outside the immigration area premises as if waiting for a cue.
They, too, were invited for questioning. Although they have similar documents, it turned out that the ‘nun’s did not know each other.
The women claimed to be missionaries from the St. Joseph Laud Sta. Maria congregation in Baguio City and alleged that they will attend a 3-day seminar in Hong Kong. They presented a certification purportedly issued by their parish priest.
The agency said the women’s personal appearance gave them away. Immigration officers noticed that one of them was wearing red shoes, a colorful handbag and wore her 'costume' improperly.
They later admitted that they were bound for Lebanon and named a certain “Philip” as their recruiter who brought them to the airport onboard 2 vehicles.
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