At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines. Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

An employee at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been caught illegally escorting three Dubai-bound Filipinos suspected of being human trafficking victims. The incident happened at NAIA Terminal 3 on December 22, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the Philippines on Wednesday (December 27). BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that immigration officers intercepted the travelers after they were escorted by the airport employee to the immigration counters. “Immigration supervisors promptly intervened, signaling that such actions were unauthorized and against protocol,” Tansingco said. The BI stressed that airport immigration areas are strictly off-limits to unauthorized personnel. The travelers from General Santos City initially claimed they were friends going on vacation to Thailand. However, investigation revealed they did not know each other and did not have return tickets. They later admitted that they were being recruited as household workers in Dubai, and planned to enter the UAE from Thailand. Meanwhile, the airport employee is now facing investigation and possible charges. The case has been forwarded to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. “The NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) will investigate this matter to know who this individual is, why is he escorting trafficking victims, whether this already happened before and if there is a business in it,” said BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval in an interview with ABS-CBN news. Sandoval said the airport employee is likely a part of a human trafficking syndicate. “It could be. Because recruiting an individual to work abroad is a big process. You would have to have connections here and abroad. This is why we want incidents like this to be thoroughly investigated,” she added. ICA/Expat Media
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