MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has rescued another suspected victim of a mail-order bride scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
In a news release on Monday, the BI said members of its Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) intercepted the 22-year-old victim before she could board a Philippine Airlines flight to Shanghai, China on January 14.
The victim initially claimed to be visiting her Chinese husband but due to inconsistencies between her statements and the documents she presented, officers grew suspicious of her story, prompting them to prevent her from boarding her flight.
She also reportedly gave conflicting answers on the details of her supposed marriage, which she said took place after a three-year relationship.
The victim eventually admitted that they had met on an online app last November 21, met in person the following day, then got married two days after in exchange for a PHP50,000 monetary allowance for her family.
“Social media makes recruitment for this scheme quick. In previous cases, Filipinas are trapped in these pseudo-marriages and are made to do domestic work without pay because they are ‘married’ already to their foreign partners,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.
The victim was turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation and the filing of appropriate charges. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)