BI intercepts Saudi-bound Filipino for ‘altered’ birth certificate

FILE PHOTO: Departing passengers line up at the immigration counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) prior to boarding their respective flights in this 2017 file photo. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino set to fly to Saudi Arabia for domestic work was held back by Immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for presenting “altered” documents believed to have misrepresented her age.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said the victim, who is suspected to be a minor and recruited by an “unscrupulous” agency, presented documents that showed she was 24 years old.

But, it noted, BI officers who processed her at the Naia Terminal 1 on Tuesday became suspicious of the victim’s behavior and later found that her birth certificate had been tweaked.

“The Immigration officer who processed her passport doubted the authenticity of the supporting document and submitted it for a tertiary check to our forensic documents laboratory. There, we were able to confirm that the year of birth and other details in the birth certificate were altered,” BI commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.

Even with the altered birth certificate, Tansingco said the victim, who was from Sultan Kudarat, had still secured other identification documents and a visa.

“We suspect that she may be less than 20 years old and possibly even a minor. This is a clear case of trafficking that abuses the vulnerabilities of our young ones,” he said.

For Filipino domestic workers, the required minimum age before they can seek employment abroad is 24.

The victim, according to Tansingco, has since been referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).

The IACAT will give her assistance and pursue legal action against her recruiters, he added.

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