NAIA 'escorts' shift to Cebu - recruiter

MANILA, Philippines - Escort service agents have moved to the Mactan International Airport after the Bureau of Immigration tightened its noose against human smuggling and illegal recruitment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, a recruitment industry leader said on Tuesday. Raul de Vera Jr., president of the Associated Agencies Accredited to Cyprus, said the escort service agents are rogue immigration and airport officials and employees who assist departing passengers for a fee, even if they have suspicious travel papers. De Vera asked Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz to take a look at the reported shift in the operations of escort services from NAIA to Cebu, which has appeared to become the gateway to other Southeast Asian countries and the Middle East. He said he received reports that Filipino workers leaving as tourists are being diverted to Cebu for their overseas flights to avoid rigid screening at the NAIA. Earlier, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan has also ordered his men to tighten the processing of departing passengers at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga after a number of would-be OFWs were intercepted there with tourist or visit visas. In January, the immigration bureau reported having prevented 38 travelers from leaving the country on suspicion that most of them had intention of working abroad. Libanan said 24 of those barred from taking their outbound flights appeared to be “tourist workers" or undocumented overseas Filipino workers disguised as tourists bound for Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and other Middle East destinations. - GMANews.TV