IACAT warns OFWs about foreign military recruitment disguised as job postings

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) on Wednesday warned aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to watch out for foreign military recruitment disguised as regular job postings.

In a statement, the IACAT and the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) said there have been incidents of Filipinos being recruited for regular work, then forced to serve in foreign military forces with their employment contracts substituted.

Authorities received complaints of the new scheme through the 1343 Actionline.

“The IACAT is undertaking a formal inquiry into a verified case associated with a recruitment scheme,” it said.

It noted that the emergence of the new military conscription scam indicated a new scheme in human trafficking.

“The evolution of human trafficking tactics – shifting from simple forced labor to forced military conscription – means that ‘looking for a job’ now requires a high level of security awareness,” the body added.

The IACAT also pushed for for stronger efforts against trafficking.

The Philippines is at Tier 1 on the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, which meant that the country complied with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

The IACAT assured that it remains committed to enforcing the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and its subsequent amendments. — JMA, GMA News