Libanan’s move is in response to a report from an association of manpower recruitment agencies that earlier complained against syndicates in human smuggling and illegal recruitment who are making it big in the country’s second largest airport.

Raul de Vera Jr., president of the Association of Agencies Accredited to Cyprus (AAAC), wrote Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz asking the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to request intervention by the BI leadership to stop the escort services that have victimized a big number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Libanan thanked the AAAC for their vigilance against illegal recruitment, saying "the BI program against human smuggling needs the support of the public.” Libanan invited the leaders of the overseas placement industry to a consultation meeting.

De Vera disclosed that undocumented Filipino contract workers were using MCIA as gateway to fly to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. “Many of them end up in Cyprus,” he added.

According to De Vera, the MCIA exit to foreign destinations geared up after the BI succeeded to put a stop to the notorious "escort services at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) that have victimized tens of thousands of Filipinos wanting to work abroad."

"When Libanan took over leadership of the BI, he made it difficult for these syndicates to operate at the NAIA,” De Vera said, adding that Libanan gave new hope to the overseas placement industry that has for long lobbied for effective government strategies to stop illegal recruitment.

De Vera said "Libanan gave back our trust on the government and we are confident he will stop these human smuggling syndicates at the Cebu airport as he did at the NAIA.”

Libanan’s special attention to the eradication of escort services at the NAIA is in compliance to an order by President Arroyo to stop this practice that has caused problems to many Filipinos in foreign lands and source of international embarrassment.

The government does not allow Filipinos to leave the country to work overseas without going through regular process to make sure they are given the appropriate protection in their place of work. Those who leave the country as undocumented OFWs get through the BI desks using escort services perpetrated by rogue immigration and airport officials.

When Libanan took leadership of the BI, he organized the Migration Compliance and Monitoring Group (MCMG) as the last line of defense against human smuggling and illegal recruitment, Roy Almoro, BI deputy commissioner said.

"System re-engineering and an uncompromising leadership sent signals to the organization on what the employes should expect under the administration of Commissioner Libanan,” Almoro added.