3 Filipinos stopped in Davao over military jobs in Eastern Europe

Bureau of Immigration officer at Davao City International Airport.

Bureau of Immigration / Released

MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Immigration officers intercepted three Filipinos attempting to leave the country under the guise of attending a martial arts tournament after they were allegedly recruited for military and border guard work in Eastern Europe.

In a statement on Monday, October 26, the BI said its officers prevented the departure of three men through Davao International Airport on October 17.

The passengers, identified by the aliases "Johnny," 25; "Berting," 51; and "Tappy," 50, were stopped after members of the BI's Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) flagged major inconsistencies in their travel documents and declared itineraries.

According to the bureau, the trio initially claimed they were flying to Thailand to participate in or coach a Muay Thai tournament.

Further questioning, however, bared their intended destination to be Eastern Europe, where they had allegedly been promised monthly salaries of P200,000 to work as soldiers or border guards.

BI investigators learned that some of the men had encountered recruiters identified only as "Alexander" and "Oleg" through Facebook and Telegram. The recruiters allegedly covered their travel expenses.

The men also claimed that the recruiters instructed them to fly to Thailand first, where their European electronic visas would supposedly be provided.

One of the men also revealed a last-minute change in their travel plans.

According to the bureau, the trio was initially instructed on October 13 to leave the country through a supposed "backdoor" route in Zamboanga before the recruiters changed the plan to a commercial flight out of Davao.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado urged the public to exercise caution when dealing with high-paying job offers involving unusual travel arrangements or high-risk work.

"Filipinos must be cautious of recruiters who promise high salaries but provide unclear employment arrangements or questionable travel plans. Before accepting any overseas job offer, they should verify the legitimacy of the employer and recruitment agency with the Department of Migrant Workers," Viado said.

"We will continue working with our partner agencies to help prevent illegal recruitment and protect Filipinos from possible exploitation," he added.