New human trafficking ploy: Filipino women posing as boxers

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has discovered a human trafficking ploy where the victims are asked to pose as boxers, complete with jersey shirts and Philippine flag only to work as househelp and waitresses abroad.

Immigration Chief Jaime Morente said the new style was discovered following the arrest of a man last Oct. 2 with two women about to board a Thai Airways flight to Bangkok.

The man was identified as Rexsan Naval Godala, 30. Morente said Godala, who introduced himself as a professional boxing trainer, was supposed to escort the victims who pretended to be boxers and wore jersey shirts emblazoned with a logo of the Philippine flag.

“It turned out that he was not a boxing trainer and that the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) license and letter of authority purportedly signed by GAB chair Abraham Mitra which he presented are spurious,” Morente said.

His victims admitted during the interview that from Bangkok, they would take a connecting flight to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where they were hired to work as a maid and waitress, respectively.

All three passengers were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and filing of proper charges.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that it was not the first time that Godala, who later admitted he is a boxer but is not connected with GAB, was seen accompanying Filipinas posing as boxers in their trip abroad.

A report by personnel from the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU) who intercepted the three passengers disclosed that last Sept. 14, Godala managed to escort out of the country two women similarly disguised and dressed as boxers.

Verification made with the BI’s travel database revealed that the women never returned, contrary to Godala’s assertion at the time that the “boxers” would return after only two days.

The TCEU also reported that Godala himself admitted  that last Aug. 28, he escorted three other women to take part in a boxing competition in Thailand. CDG/rga

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