THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intercepted two Filipino women about to leave the country purportedly for a vacation in Hong Kong but in reality to work in Bahrain.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the women, identified only as Annie and Aiza, both in their mid-thirties, claimed to be friends traveling to Hong Kong for a short vacation, but raised some doubts during primary inspection, prompting further interrogation.
During the interview, the pair admitted that their actual destination was Bahrain, where they had been recruited to work in a factory for a monthly salary of 130 BHD (approximately P19,000).
They also admitted that their online recruiter gave them two envelopes—one containing standard travel documents, and another with a Bahrain-bound airline ticket and visa application—under the pretense of legal overseas employment.
