OFWs repatriated from Laos after falling for work scam – BI
MANILA, Philippines — Four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) trafficked for employment in Laos have been repatriated after seeking assistance from the Philippine Embassy in Vientiane, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday.
The OFWs returned to the Philippines on Oct. 17.
According to the BI, the victims were allegedly supposed to go to Brunei but were “trafficked to Laos through Thailand.”
The four OFWs told the BI that they were recruited online for customer service jobs promising salaries of up to P47,000.
However, they were reportedly “made to work for up to 15 hours a day without rest and forced to perform unrelated tasks,” the BI said.
The victims revealed they ended up handling social media tasks for online scams, with one admitting to being “coerced into illegal activities.”
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Based on the investigation, the victims’ documents—including Brunei work visas, employment contracts, Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar certificates, and Overseas Employment certificates—were handed over only on the day of their departure at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“The recruiters allegedly used Brunei as a cover destination to illegally transfer the victims to another country,” the BI said.
After verification, the recruiters’ identities were reported to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. One recruiter was arrested by the National Bureau of Immigration-International Airport Investigation Division for involvement in the fake recruitment.
Following the repatriation, BI Commissioner Anthony Viado described the case as “alarming,” noting that the victims “knew the arrangement was irregular but still agreed.”
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Viado added that the case demonstrates how “deceptive and manipulative these recruiters have become,” and reminded Filipinos to verify job offers and exercise caution with overseas recruitment ads.
The identities of the victims and suspects have not been disclosed. /mcm
