Immigration bureau says syndicate behind 'fixed marriage' incidents

Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval on Friday said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) believes that a syndicate is behind the incidents where individuals pose as married couples in order to leave the Philippines.

“Tingin po natin, medyo malaki laki po itong sindikatong ito [we think this is a really big syndicate],” Sandoval said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

According to Sandoval, the BI has recorded three incidents involving the scheme with the latest occurring on Valentine’s Day.

Though the couple initially presented an original certificate of marriage, the victim later admitted that she did not personally process the certificate and had no idea how it was processed.

“Sinasabi po nung huling biktima, isang China-based agency po ang kausap niya. Doon po pinadala ‘yung mga information at ‘yung bayad para sa fraudulently acquired document. Pero document pa rin po ang nakuha nila dito sa Pilipinas ,” Sandoval said.

[The latest victim said that she was talking to a China-based agency. Her information and payment was delivered there for the fraudulently acquired document. But the document was obtained in the Philippines.]

She said they believe that the syndicate in China has connections in the Philippines.

The case has been forwarded to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking as they obtained information from interviews with the victims, according to the BI spokesperson.

“Very similar ‘yung storya na mag asawa umano, pupunta sa China, pero ang ending parang arranged or fixed marriage para man lang makapag stay longer doon or makapag trabaho,” Sandoval said.

[The story of supposedly being a married couple and going to China is very similar, but the ending is that this is really an arranged or fixed marriage so they can stay longer in China or so they can work there.]

She said a victim that was repatriated admitted that she was not married to the individual she left with when she returned to the country.

The victim was later abused and made to do house work in China.

“Pagdating po doon sa bansang Tsina, siya po ay pinag ha-house work, pinagbabayad ng sariling pagkain. Sinasaktan po at inaabuso siya nung kanyang supposed asawa na ang lumalabas ay parang employer na lang niya dahil talagang inalipin siya,” she said.

[Once they arrived in China, she was made to do house work and made to pay for her own food. She was also abused by her supposed husband who seemed more like her employer because of how he treated her.]

Meanwhile, Sandoval said another case was intercepted by the BI.

“Supposed husband daw, ‘yun pala po ay mail-order kasi may napagusapan nang babayaran para doon sa kasal at para makapag stay ng matagal sa China,” she said.

[He was her supposed husband but it was mail order because they talked about payment in order to stay longer in China.] — RSJ, GMA Integrated News