Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport arrested in two separate incidents last June 28 and 29 three Filipino women who confidently presented a PSA issued marriage certificate.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that a 29-year-old female victim attempted to board a China Eastern Airlines flight to Shanghai when she was intercepted by members of the BI’s immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) headed by Bienvenido Castillo III, at the MCIA early morning of June 28, 2024.
Castillo said she was traveling with a Chinese man, 30 years-old, who claimed to be her husband. However, officers saw numerous inconsistencies in her documentation, including a PSA marriage certificate claiming that they are married.
I-PROBES officers reported that when asked, the victim admitted that she did not know the particulars of the supposed wedding and later admitted that she merely paid P17,500 via money transfer for the processing of her documents, he added.
The I-PROBES also reported the interception of two more victims last June 29 also bound for Shanghai. The victims, aged 25 and 24, attempted to travel with their supposed Chinese spouses under the same circumstances and both presenting PSA marriage certificates. Both admitted that their documents and their marriages were arranged through a contact.
All three victims and the three Chinese couriers have been turned over to the inter-agency council against trafficking for further investigation.
Tansingco meanwhile said: “This is a clear case of mail-order bride wherein fixers seemingly assist marriages between Filipinas and foreign nationals. These attempts have been intercepted at our Manila airports, hence they are now attempting other airports. They should know that our alert is up on this modus in all international ports of entry and exit,” he added.
He added: “What’s surprising in this case is that they even have photos of their supposed wedding together, which never really happened,” said Tansingco. “These syndicates seem to have even prepared fake studios for picture taking.”
