BI stops seemingly underage-looking woman from leaving for Oman as OFW

FILE PHOTO: Bureau of Immigration (BI) logo and building facade. INQUIRER / ALEXIS CORPUZ

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday that it has apprehended a “very young” Filipino woman who attempted to leave the country for Oman as an overseas Filipino worker on Monday.

According to the BI, the woman, who was given the alias “Lia” for her privacy, tried to go to Oman as a household service worker, but airport authorities flagged her down.

“Our alert primary inspection officer noticed that she seemed very young compared to her presented document, she was referred for secondary inspection,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.

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Lia declared that she was 30 years old but was suspected by authorities of being underage due to inconsistencies with her documents.

“The immigration officers had reason to believe that she is underage, given the numerous inconsistencies in her statements and passports,” Tansingco added.

She then said that her documents were processed in Marawi through an agent and that she stayed in Parañaque for six months at an accommodation owned by her agency. She added that her documents were given to her just before her flight.

The BI also added that the minimum age for deployment of household service workers was 24, and Tansingco expressed concern that modus of this kind may be repeated.

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“We are worried that this might mean that there is a resurgence of the modus,” he added.

Lia was endorsed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for the filing of cases against her recruiters.