CLARK, Pampanga – Immigration authorities at Clark International Airport (CIA) intercepted a 29-year-old woman last November 2, suspected of being a trafficking victim instructed to impersonate a nanny as part of a surrogacy scheme.
The woman, whose identity is withheld under anti-trafficking laws, was attempting to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Malaysia with a married couple and their infant. She claimed to work as a nanny for the couple’s 3-month-old child. However, immigration officials noticed several inconsistencies in their statements, triggering a secondary inspection.
According to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, “The trafficker and victim gave conflicting responses on basic questions about their relationship, revealing discrepancies that raised suspicion.”
During the investigation, the woman admitted she had connected with her recruiter on Facebook, where she was offered an opportunity for surrogacy in Malaysia. It was further discovered that the recruiter had planned to send three individuals to Malaysia for gestational surrogacy that day, but only the woman proceeded with the attempt.
The woman shared that while she had initially explored surrogacy options, she later decided against it and hoped instead to secure work as a nanny.
“It appears the trafficker intended to obscure the illegal surrogacy arrangement through the ‘Bitbit’ scheme, creating a facade of a close relationship to facilitate the victim’s departure,” Viado stated. “It’s deeply concerning that the trafficker involved her own family to aid this scheme,” he added.
The woman was referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance, while the recruiter may face charges under the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022. #
