Just two days after Mother’s Day, a woman was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 for allegedly selling her own daughter as a mail-order bride to a Chinese national.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that on May 13, its immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) foiled an attempted trafficking case involving a mother-daughter duo attempting to board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for China.
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said officers identified the passengers as alias Annie, 42, and her daughter, alias Mia. Upon secondary inspection, the daughter claimed they were flying abroad to join her alleged husband, a Chinese citizen. However, she presented a fraudulent marriage certificate to support her claim.
Sandoval said further questioning revealed that alias Mia was unaware she was supposed to get married, admitting that her mother arranged the marriage. She said the man was introduced to her on March 11, and after the so-called wedding, she was handed P5,000. She was told that the marriage would provide financial support to their family.
She said that the BI is working closely with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and other partners to ensure perpetrators are held accountable and victims receive proper support.
The duo has been turned over to the IACAT for further investigation and assistance.
