Four Filipinas trafficked as sex workers in Malaysia have returned home to the Philippines, following a grim ordeal marked by deception, exploitation, and illegal transit, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed Thursday, Oct. 30.
According to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado, the women—whose identities were withheld for their protection—arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Oct. 22 after being rescued with the help of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Malaysia.
“We thank the swift and decisive efforts of the MWO under the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for facilitating their return,” Viado said.
Records from the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) revealed that none of the four victims had official departure records.
The women later disclosed they had left the country via a small boat from Tawi-Tawi bound for Malaysia—an illicit route often exploited by trafficking syndicates.
Once in Malaysia, their passports were allegedly stamped with fake Philippine exit marks. From there, they were transported overland to Labuan, where they were forced to work in a KTV bar for two weeks.
They were later moved to Johor Bahru and coerced into providing sexual services in a spa establishment.
Viado also said that forensic examinations confirmed that the victims’ passports bore counterfeit BI departure stamps.
“This is the grim reality for improperly documented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) — they are shuffled around and compelled to endure exploitative working conditions,” he said.
He added that the four women later managed to escape from their employer and sought the assistance of the Philippine Embassy
Meanwhile, Viado said the identities of the recruiters of the victims have been reported to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and are now being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). (Jeffrey Damicog)
