Philippine immigration officers stopped three men at Davao International Airport on Oct. 17 after questioning raised concerns that overseas military job offers could expose the travelers to exploitation, the Bureau of Immigration said.
The men said they had been promised ₱200,000 a month to work as soldiers or border guards in Eastern Europe. Officers referred them to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation into their recruitment and intended work.
The bureau identified the travelers only as Johnny, Berting and Tappy. They told officers that two people they called Alexander and Oleg had arranged their recruitment and sponsored their travel expenses. Some said they had encountered the recruiters on Facebook and Telegram.
At first, the men described their trip to Thailand as a visit to a Muay Thai tournament where they would compete or coach. They later said they planned to continue to Europe and had been told they would receive electronic visas while in Thailand, according to the bureau.
One traveler told officers that, on Oct. 13, he was instructed to use a purported backdoor route through Zamboanga. The plan later changed to a flight from Davao, the bureau said.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado urged Filipinos to check overseas employers and recruiters with the Department of Migrant Workers before accepting offers. The bureau identified unusually high pay and unclear job or travel arrangements as warning signs.
