By Marita Moaje
MANILA – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has warned Filipinos seeking overseas jobs against a new wave of human trafficking schemes that recruit for work abroad but ultimately force them into military service abroad.
In a news release Wednesday, the CFO said the warning, issued alongside the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), was prompted by a verified case involving victims who were promised employment but were compelled to serve in foreign armed forces.
“According to reports from the 1343 Actionline, the IACAT’s primary human trafficking hotline, victims were originally recruited for work, and upon arrival at their undisclosed foreign destinations, their employment contracts were substituted, and they were compelled to serve in foreign militaries,” the CFO said.
It said the IACAT is conducting a formal inquiry into a verified case related to a recruitment scheme.
The CFO, meanwhile, is strengthening its advocacy efforts to raise awareness among prospective migrants, particularly on the risks of illegal recruitment and undocumented status in regions facing geopolitical instability.
Under Republic Act 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and its subsequent amendments under RA 10364 and RA 11862, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and 2022, the IACAT is mandated to oversee the protection of Filipinos from exploitation.
The agency reiterated that overseas job offers without verified contracts from the Department of Migrant Workers should be considered high-risk, urging the public to exercise extreme caution when dealing with recruiters.
Despite the Philippines’ continued Tier 1 ranking in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, the CFO noted that the emergence of such schemes signals a concerning shift in trafficking tactics that demands heightened vigilance and stronger inter-agency response.
The Tier 1 status indicates that the government meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking
The CFO likewise reminded the public of its earlier advisory issued in February, on the increasing recruitment of Filipinos for deployment in foreign conflict zones, and urged immediate reporting of suspected trafficking cases through the IACAT 1343 hotline. (PNA)
