Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 10) — Authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Thursday held six Filipinos on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land on suspicion that they are trafficking victims, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
“They all claimed to be traveling together for a pilgrimage, but they were unaware of their travel itinerary. They are also not known to each other,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement on Friday.
The BI said the six tried to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Amman, Jordan before they were caught by the the immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.
Authorities discovered they were bound for Jordan to seek employment.
Two of them tried to leave the country in September also as part of a supposed pilgrimage.
“Our I-PROBES found that the two passengers were supposed to join a group of 14 ‘pilgrims’ who left the country last Sept. 27. Ten of them never returned and are now presumably working abroad,” Tansingco added.
Tansingco said the two passengers were held due to “inconsistencies” in “statements and documentation.”
“The passengers stated during interview that an alleged male pastor arranged their trip and that they all paid him large sums of money ranging from P75,000 to P150,000 each,” the BI said.
The agency said those apprehended on Thursday said it was the same pastor who organized the fake pilgrimage last September.
Tansingco said the case was forwarded to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for investigation.
