The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday, November 3, announced that a self-proclaimed religious pastor will face criminal charges for allegedly attempting to traffic three Filipinos to Cambodia via Thailand last November 1.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the suspect only as “Pastor Falcon.” He and his three Filipino companions, whose names were withheld, were intercepted at Clark International Airport (CIA) before boarding a flight bound for Bangkok, Thailand.
“It is disappointing how traffickers use religious activities as cover for their crimes,” Viado said, adding that the so-called pastor “deserves to face human trafficking charges.”
The case has been referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and prosecution.
According to a report from the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), the group gave inconsistent statements about their travel purpose and relationship with each other.
“Eventually, they admitted that they were actually headed for Cambodia, where they had been recruited to work as call center agents and cooks for a company,” the BI said.
The victims told authorities they were promised salaries of up to ₱50,000 a month and claimed that the “pastor” had assured them he could help them leave the country without issue.
A background check revealed that “Pastor Falcon” had previously traveled abroad with another individual who departed as a tourist and has not returned to the Philippines.
