“Baklas Passport” Scheme Used for Trafficking Minors to Syria Under Probe
Senator Risa Hontiveros orders probe against “baklas passport” scheme allegedly used for trafficking minors aging from 14-years-old to Syria.
Hontiveros demanded an in-depth investigation into the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) discovery of a “baklas passport” used to smuggle Filipina minors into Syria during a Senate women’s committee hearing that she chaired.
“Our witness Lenlen went to the DFA in Cotabato to get her biometric passport in 2018. Why then did the DFA give her a fake passport? Si Omaima rin, pinatotohanan na yung passport nya ay ‘baklas’, kaya nadiskartehan ang kanyang birthdate. Paano nakakalusot ang ganitong mga kalakaran? Is there a government official colluding with human trafficking criminals? Huwag naman sana. Kung hindi man sila kasabwat, dapat malinawan ng DFA ang mga pag-aalala natin,” said Senator.
READ ALSO: More Than 20 “Akyat Barko” Trafficking Victims Rescued at Manila Bay
Some specifics in the original passport are omitted and replaced with others in the ‘baklas passport’ system, allowing minors to enter the Philippines and the Middle East. She went on to say that the DFA should look into any of its officials across the country who might be assisting in the manufacture of fake passports.
Hontiveros showed video clips of women smuggled into Syria under the names Omaima, Aleah, and Lenlen at a Senate hearing on Tuesday. Only in 2020 were they able to return to the Philippines. They also said that their Syrian employers mistreated them.
“Hindi lang BI ang may pananagutan dito, pati narin ang mga gumagawa ng pekeng passport. Kaya kung may mga matitinong opisyal pa ng gobyerno o kung sinumang indibidwal na may alam sa modus na ito, harapin niyo na kami bago pa man kayo sentensyahan ng pagkakulong. Let’s all help finally resolve this revolting issue. Let’s do all we can for our children,” Hontiveros stressed.
Alex Chiong, a whistleblower in the pastillas scam, disclosed that 43 crooked Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials had a Viber group chat with a list of women to be smuggled into the airport, mostly teenagers with fake passports. Jaime Morente, the BI Commissioner, testified before the committee that he had relieved the immigration officers accused of trafficking Filipino workers to Syria.
READ ALSO: OFW Exposes BI Personnel Received P50K for Her Trafficking to Syria
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