QUEZON CITY, (PIA) --Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco appealed to families of aspiring overseas workers to stop escorting relatives to work for scam syndicates.

Tansingco made the statement after the latest batch of repatriates from Myanmar arrived last July 13 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Bangkok.

Tansingco said that the repatriates were forced to work as online scammers in Myanmar, and faced hunger, physical abuse and threats.

To be released, a victim even had to pay 11,000 USD to the company.

“This is already kidnapping and forced labor,” said Tansingco.

“What’s happening now is some of the worst kinds of trafficking we’ve seen. Apart from being trafficked and forced to work, they are made to become scammers as well,” he added.The victims were made up of 4 females and 4 males, all in their 20’s and 30’s.“Of the 8 victims, 5 were traveling with family members in the guise of going abroad for a vacation,” said Tansingco.

He then appealed to families to protect their loved ones by ensuring that they do not fall prey to these illegal syndicates.

“Let us protect our families and not bring them to danger,” said Tansingco.

“We’ve seen so many of our kababayans victimized by these syndicates, do not be an instrument to bring them to situations that may jeopardize their safety,” he added.

The victims were assisted by the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration after immigration clearance. (BI/PIA-NCR)