DoJ affirms raps vs BI officer in trafficking 7 workers

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Justice has affirmed the charges filed against a Bureau of Immigration officer who was alleged to have facilitated the departure of seven passengers who were supposed to work abroad using only tourist travel documents.

In a seven-page resolution, Justice Undersecretary Leah Armamento said that the respondent’s defenses that “she cleared the exit of the offloaded passengers in good faith and the veracity of the affidavits of the affiants are all matters of evidence, best addressed and appreciated in a court of law during a full blown trial on the merits.”

The resolution was dated March 14 but was released to the media only Monday.

The case of the immigration officer is now at the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer cannot name the respondent and the complainants because of the confidentiality clause in Republic Act 9208 or the anti-trafficking in persons law, which prohibits the media from identifying the parties in a case.

The charge against the immigration officer stemmed from the off-loading of seven passengers in September last year at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

The passengers’ passports all bore the stamp of the immigration officer.

In their complaint, the passengers alleged that they were instructed by their recruiter to line up only at the immigration counter that would be indicated by a certain “Ate Rose” in a text message.

This “Ate Rose” told them to line up at the counter of the respondent.

The respondent denied conspiring with illegal recruiters and said she cleared the passengers for departure because they presented authentic travel documents.

But Armamento said the passengers themselves admitted that they intended to work abroad.

“Thus, it is evident that when they were cleared for departure without the necessary POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) clearances and certificates, they did not undergo the proper procedure to ensure their protection as overseas Filipino workers,” Armamento said.