MANILA: The Philippine National Police (PNP) is stepping up its monitoring of suspected illegal recruitment for overseas military jobs after three Filipinos were intercepted at the Davao International Airport over alleged job offers in Eastern Europe.
“Illegal recruiters prey on the hopes of our compatriots by disguising dangerous schemes as opportunities for a better future,” PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 27).
The three Filipinos, aged 21, 50, and 51, were reportedly seized before their departure on October 17, after authorities suspected they were being recruited for military and border guard positions in Eastern Europe.
The PNP said the Filipinos were traveling to Thailand for a Muay Thai tournament but later disclosed they had been offered monthly salaries of P200,000 (US$3,124) for the jobs.
The group was reportedly told initially on October 13, to take a supposed “backdoor” route through Zamboanga before plans shifted to flying out of Davao.
The Bureau of Immigration earlier said that the three Filipinos claimed that their travel expenses were shouldered by “Alexander” and “Oleg,” the recruiters contacted through Facebook and Telegram.
The three also reportedly told authorities that two foreign recruiters arranged their European electronic visas while they were in Thailand.
They were referred to the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking for further investigation.
The warning also came after reports of at least three Filipinos killed in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Police units were instructed to coordinate with other government agencies to protect Filipinos from potentially dangerous overseas job offers.
The initiative aims to lessen human trafficking and protect jobseekers from exploitation abroad, the PNP said.
“We will not allow unscrupulous individuals or syndicates to exploit the aspirations of any of our compatriots for overseas employment,” said the PNP chief.
Nartatez said that the PNP would strengthen its intelligence operations and coordination with partner agencies to identify illegal recruiters and hold them accountable.
“No Filipino should be lured into a conflict zone by false promise of employment,” he added. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
