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Filipina barred from travel abroad due to 'fake' document -- BI

Philippines | National

Filipina barred from travel abroad due to 'fake' document -- BI

By Jeffrey Damicog

A Filipina was stopped from boarding her flight to Malta after she presented a "fake" certificate from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas-Guidance and Counseling Program (CFO-GCP) instead of a legitimate Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, Nov. 14.

The BI said the Filipina, whose identity was withheld, was intercepted by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last Saturday, Nov. 11 after failing to present an OEC even though she claimed she was traveling abroad to work as a caregiver.

“Filipinos whose sole purpose of travel is to work overseas, are required to secure OECs from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW),” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco stressed.

“The CFO-GCP is a required pre-departure seminar conducted for first-time Filipino migrants who are Filipino spouses, fiancé(e)s, and other partners of foreign nationals who plan to migrate overseas,” BI said.

During secondary inspection, BI said that the Filipina "eventually admitted to obtaining her documents from an internet acquaintance, including the fake CFO-GCP certificate.”

“She confessed to not personally applying for the CFO-GCP and bypassing the mandatory counseling session,” it added.

Tansingco said the incident shows “the importance of exercising extreme caution when dealing with internet acquaintance.”

“We encourage those seeking opportunities abroad to adhere to official channels and processes to avoid potential instances of human trafficking or illegal recruitment,” he advised.

Related Tags

Bureau of Immigration

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