Latest news with #JoelAnthonyViado
Filipino Times
3 days ago
- Filipino Times
BI warns vs. ‘mail-order bride' schemes after foiled trafficking attempt
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned the public against the 'mail-order bride' schemes following the interception of a Filipina at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) who attempted to leave the country for an arranged marriage in China. In a statement, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said such schemes are resurfacing where suspects often deceive women with promises of a better life abroad. 'The mail-order bride trap is rising again—all promise[s] upfront, tricking women into fake marriages and exploiting them as domestic workers with little or no pay,' he added. A 24-year-old woman was stopped on July 15 by officers from the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) as she attempted to board a Xiamen Airlines flight to Xiamen, China. She claimed she was traveling with her brother to meet her Chinese husband, whom she had recently married. However, her marriage certificate had a visibly altered date, and her marriage license was issued after the reported wedding, raising suspicions. The woman later admitted that both the marriage and the documents were fake. She told authorities that a recruiter had offered her ₱8,000 and promised her a better life if she agreed to an arranged marriage with a Chinese national. The BI said the woman and her companion were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) under the Department of Justice for further investigation and assistance. Earlier this year, BI intercepted two other Filipinas at NAIA who claimed they were going to China to meet their Chinese spouses. Upon investigation, officers discovered that both were married on the same date and time as two other victims. They later admitted their marriages were also fake and arranged by a third party.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Philippines cracks down on rising 'mail-order bride' scams, warns against fake marriages
The Philippines' Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a warning to the public about the resurgence of 'mail-order bride' schemes. This comes after a Filipina woman was recently stopped from leaving the country for China, where she was set to enter into an arranged marriage with a Chinese man, according to 'The mail-order bride trap is rising again — all promise(s) upfront, tricking women into fake marriages and exploiting them as domestic workers with little or no pay,' BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement. The BI reported that on July 15, personnel from its Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-Probes) stopped a 24-year-old woman at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). She had been preparing to board a Xiamen Airlines flight to Xiamen, China. The woman initially told immigration officers she was travelling with her brother to reunite with her Chinese husband, whom she claimed to have recently married. However, authorities noticed irregularities in the documents she submitted. 'The marriage certificate showed a visibly altered date, and the marriage license was issued after the wedding — raising serious inconsistencies,' the I-Probes said in its report. After further questioning, the woman admitted that both the marriage and the documents she carried were "fake". She revealed that a recruiter had promised her an improved quality of life in exchange for agreeing to the arranged marriage. She had already received P8,000 (Dh500) from the man she was supposed to marry, to cover her travel expenses. The BI said the woman and the man posing as her brother were handed over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking under the Department of Justice for additional investigation and support. This isn't the first such incident this year. The BI previously intercepted two Filipino women in their early 20s at Naia who also claimed they were headed to China to join their Chinese husbands. Although they said they had been married for some time, inconsistencies in their statements led I-Probes to discover that both weddings happened on the same day and at the same hour. Eventually, the two women confessed that their marriage was "fake". It was also revealed that two additional women are also being wed to Chinese men during the same arranged ceremony, with all paperwork facilitated by an unidentified third party.
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- GMA Network
BI warns Pinoys vs 'love scam' job offers abroad
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned the public against ''love scam'' job offers abroad. This developed after the BI recently rescued and repatriated a 24-year-old Filipino from Cambodia, who was lured into working in a 'love scam' hub in Phnom Penh despite being promised a position as a customer service representative in an online betting company. According to the victim, he received the job offer from a former colleague. He was instructed to fly to Taiwan before taking a subsequent flight to Cambodia. Upon arrival, the victim said his employer required him to contact American citizens via social media platforms and dating applications, initiating contact under the pretense of a mistakenly sent ''wrong message'' text. He would then engage in flirtatious exchanges with the unsuspecting targets before introducing them to the company's investment platform. He managed at least three fake female profiles and communicated with the target victims through chat and video calls. For video calls, he would use the same photos in the fraudulent profiles to interact with the victims. If he failed to meet performance expectations and the grueling 15-hour work shifts, the victim said his employer would tap his head with force or activate stun batons near him to intimidate and instill fear. 'These aren't just your run-of-the-mill online scams—we're talking about full-blown operations linked to human trafficking,' said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado in a press statement. 'Victims aren't just losing money; they're being thrown to do shady deals,' he said. The victim returned to the Philippines on July 13 after a rescue operation coordinated with the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia. Viado said the BI is closely monitoring the situation and has passed all gathered intel to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to investigate the recruiters and anyone linked to the victims' illegal deployment. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
07-07-2025
- Filipino Times
Filipinos trafficked to Pakistan for illegal online jobs, BI sounds alarm
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has raised concern over a new trafficking route targeting Filipinos, this time sending them to Pakistan to work illegally in online gambling operations—an alarming scheme similar to illegal POGO activities. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado called the development disturbing, saying it reflects how human traffickers are evolving and becoming more deceptive. 'We're seeing victims now being lured into jobs in Pakistan under false pretenses. This is clearly part of a wider network,' he said. On July 6, immigration officers stopped four Filipinos—one man and three women—at NAIA while they attempted to board a flight to Hong Kong, which was just a stopover before heading to Pakistan. They initially claimed to be going on vacation, but later admitted they were promised jobs in an online gaming hub. The recruiter, allegedly a Chinese national, offered them salaries of ₱35,000 to ₱45,000 per month and instructed them to pose as tourists. Cash was also provided to cover travel expenses. The BI is coordinating with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to identify and take action against the recruiters behind this illegal operation.
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- GMA Network
Korean tourists still top PH arrivals in 2024
South Korean nationals remained the Philippines' biggest source of arrivals in 2024, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI). In a statement released on Tuesday, the BI said a total of 1,761,281 South Koreans visited the Philippines last year. 'The Philippines continues to be a preferred destination for South Koreans, not only because of our natural attractions but also for our thriving English language programs, which are especially popular among families with young learners during school holidays,' said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. The BI also said that recent moves by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to increase security for foreign visitors in the country helped in boosting the tourist arrival numbers. 'As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has underscored, tourism is a vital pillar of our economic recovery and sustained growth. The BI stands in solidarity with the DOT in ensuring that our borders are safe, secure, and welcoming to our international guests,' Viado said. BI also said that they are now working with DOT, foreign embassies, and relevant law enforcement agencies to further strengthen the country's security for tourists. 'We have maintained strong cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and law enforcement counterparts, especially in intelligence-sharing, monitoring of transnational crimes, and rapid response to incidents involving Korean nationals. This collaborative approach strengthens confidence and promotes mutual protection,' he added. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
