The Bureau of Immigration said that four Filipinos who were forced to work as scammers in Myanmar returned to the Philippines on Monday.
The BI said that the four Filipinos returned to Manila via Thai Airways amid the crisis in Myanmar.
“Upon arriving, they were coerced into engaging in online scamming activities for an undisclosed Chinese company. These individuals were subjected to physical abuse and poor working conditions,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.
The victims initially left the country as tourists but later on were convinced by foreigners to apply for work.
The BI chief said that they were hired as customer service representatives which they saw in a Facebook post.
The victims don’t have their working visa and were not registered OFWs according to the BI. The BI said that the Department of Foreign Affairs placed Myanmar under Alert Level 2.
“This means that only documented Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are allowed to travel to Myanmar, with stringent protocols and safeguards in place,” Tansingco said.
