Immigration official linked to Cambodia trafficking cases relieved, but not suspended —BI commish

The immigration officer who allegedly assisted the deployment of three Filipino human trafficking victims to Cambodia has been relieved from duties but not suspended, Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Wednesday.

During the continuation of the Senate investigation into the human trafficking of Filipinos to Myanmar and Cambodia, Senator Risa Hontiveros said her office received information about the immigration officer who allegedly helped facilitate the departure of three Filipinos who were recruited as crypto-scammers in Cambodia.

"Just yesterday po, we received information that the immigration officer for all three individuals is one Alma Grace David," Hontiveros said.

The senator also said that they already identified the names of the local agents allegedly conniving with the immigration officers to deploy trafficked Filipinos.

"Alam na po natin kung sino ang local agent at tinurn over na po natin ang pangalan niya sa Department of Justice at sa NBI," she added.

(We already know who the local agent is and we have turned over their name to the DOJ and the National Bureau of Investigation.)

The lawmaker then asked Tansingco if David was among the BI officers who are currently suspended.

"As early as January 19, 2023, we were already relieved [her] from [her] duties as immigration officer and reassigned, in the meantime, to the admin division in the main office pending the investigation being conducted by the Department of Justice," he said.

"We cannot suspend Ms. David this time because the disciplining authority, your honor, is the DOJ, being the appointing authority. The most that we can do is relieve [her] from [her] assignment," he added.

Tansingco said they are currently coordinating with the DOJ regarding the ongoing investigation against this immigration officer.

"I hope, Commissioner, na habang na-relieve sila and reassigned ngayon sa admin division na she would not be able to do further harm katulad ng naranasan ng ating mga kababayan," Hontiveros said

(I hope that while she has been relieved and reassigned to the admin division, she would not be able to do further harm such as what was done to our compatriots.)

She then issued a reminder that a person could face lifetime imprisonment under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act if convicted.

In November last year, Hontiveros delivered a privilege speech baring the case of 12 overseas Filipino workers who were allegedly recruited by supposed Chinese syndicates to work as scammers in Myanmar.

Last week, the senator revealed that some Filipinos were also illegally recruited to work as crypto-scammers in Cambodia.

Miles, one of the Filipinos who was trafficked to Cambodia, earlier said that some Filipinos who were recruited for the same job flew out from Clark International Airport, allegedly escorted by immigration officers.

Appearing before the Senate hearing on Wednesday, Miles said she was tasked to recruit more Filipinos through Facebook groups and that a certain Rachel Almendra Luna was the one who is booking the flights of the new recruits.

"Mabilis lamang ang proseso ng pagpapadala ng mga recruit sa Cambodia dahil may connection sa Bureau of Immigration sa Clark International Airport. Kasabwat ng agent niya ang kanyang asawa," Miles said.

(The process of sending recruits to Cambodia was quick because they have connection to the Bureau of Immigration at Clark International Agent. The agent's spouse as also in on it.)

After an interview with Luna, she said, recruits would be added to a Telegram group chat, but the recruiters were prohibited to communicate with the new hires.

According to Miles, her new recruits were told to go Luna's house in San Fernando, Pampanga to review all the requirements and produce fake vaccine certificates.

"Sa bahay nung agent, itinuturo din niya sa mga recruits kung aling immigration booth pipila sa Clark International Airport. Itong booth na ito ang kakilala nilang [Immigration Officer]," she said.

(In the house, she'd show the recruits which immigration booth to line up at at Clark. This booth is where the immigration officer they knew would be waiting.)

"Nagcha-charge si agent ng P148,500.00 per person para sa buong proseso, kasama na rito yung pambayad sa immigration officer na magtatatak sa kanilang passport. Si Rachel ang nagbabayad ng P148,500.00 na nanggagaling sa company namin," she added.

(The agent would charge P148,500.00 per person for the entire process, including the payment for the immigration officer who would stamp the passport. Rachel would pay the amount that came from our company.)

Further, Miles said that the recruitment process doesn't go through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration because they were declared tourists.

Another human trafficking victim, Ron, also narrated how he was recruited to Cambodia before the Senate panel.

"Nung binasa ko ang contract doon nakalagay sa job description na makikipagkaibigan sa mga dating apps tapos kukumbinsihin mag-invest sa cryptocurrency. Ayoko sana pirmahan ang kontrata pero kung babalik daw ako sa Pilipinas, babayaran ko daw lahat ng expenses sa akin na total na $1,700 at babayaran ko din ang pamasahe pauwi. Dahil wala akong pambayad napilitan akong pumirma," he shared.

(When I read the contract, the job description said I would have to befriend people on dating apps and convince them to invest in cryptocurrency. I didn't want to sign it but they said that if I wanted to go back to the Philippines, I would have to pay back all the expenses totaling $1,700 as well as the fare home. Since I had no money to pay with I was forced to sign.)

In her opening statement, Hontiveros reiterated her concern over the continuous operations of alleged Chinese syndicates illegally recruiting Filipinos to work abroad.

"Talagang hindi pa maampat itong napakalaking human trafficking operations ng mga sindikatong Chinese. Kaya sa lalong madaling panahon, kailangang maisagawa ang isang matinding overhaul ng ating Bureau of Immigration," she said.

(These really huge human trafficking operations by Chinese syndicates cannot be stopped. So we immediately need an overhaul of the Bureau of Immigration.)

"Mukhang marami pang natitirang contact ang mafia na yan sa loob ng BI. Galing na mismo sa ating mga survivors: may mga contact sila sa Clark airport, at malamang sa iba pang mga borders," she added.

(It looks like the mafia still has a lot of contacts in the BI. This information comes directly from the survivors: they have contacts in Clark Airport and likely at other borders.) — BM, GMA Integrated News