DMW: Recruiter nabbed after joining repatriation of human trafficking victims

A Filipino allegedly involved in recruiting compatriots to work abroad only to be exploited was arrested after joining a batch of human trafficking victims who were repatriated, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Thursday.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac was referring to one of the batches of Filipinos who were rescued from scam farms in Myanmar and were flown back to the Philippines through government efforts.

“‘Yung huling batch na 12, meron isa do’n na-aresto, nagpapanggap na distressed. Ayun pala siya pala ang recruiter… Oo, Pilipino [siya],” Cacdac said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(In a batch with 12 repatriates, one was arrested for pretending to be a distressed worker. But in reality, he or she was actually a Filipino recruiter.)

In February, 12 Filipinos were repatriated after being rescued from illegal recruitment and human trafficking operations in Myanmar.

The DMW said the victims were recruited through Facebook by a Filipino who offered jobs as customer sales representatives in Myanmar, “only to be exploited and forced to work as online scammers without pay or rest days.” The victims were also reportedly tortured through physical abuse, beaten, and electrocuted.

Following that, over 200 more Filipinos who were also suspected victims of human trafficking in Myanmar were repatriated. The recent batch consisted of 176 Filipinos who arrived in Manila on Wednesday morning.

Another suspected recruiter

Cacdac, however, revealed that authorities were looking for another potential person of interest who joined the recent batch of repatriates.

“Dito sa batch na ito, meron ding pinaghihinalaan do’n kaya bago ako umalis ng airport nabanggit sa’kin ni Usec. Ty ng DOJ na meron silang person of interest do’n sa grupo na ‘yun,” the DMW chief said.

(In this batch, authorities suspect one person. DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Ty told me that they have a person of interest in that group.)

Cacdac said that upon talking with the victims, he found out ways to arrest other perpetrators of the scheme.

He said the DMW will coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the pieces of evidence that they’ve gathered on people who connived for the illegal recruitment of the victims.

“Meron kaming mga ebidensyang ito-turnover kay Sec. Boying (Remulla) kasi merong mga nagbigay ng ebidensya, litrato, at ano pa man na dala namin para talagang matukoy kung sino itong mga tumutulong sa kanilang makaalis ng iligal,” he said.

(We will turn over the evidence to Sec. Boying because there were people who gave evidence, photographs, among others, that would help determine who helped them leave illegally.)

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has ordered the relief of seven personnel suspected to be involved in the illegal exit of at least 200 Filipinos, who were recently rescued in Myanmar after allegedly falling victim to human trafficking.—AOL, GMA Integrated News