The Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted a mother and her daughter at the airport after it was discovered that the mother was purportedly trafficking her daughter to a Chinese man as a mail-order bride.
Alias “Annie,” 42, and her daughter, alias “Mia,” were blocked at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on May 13. According to the BI’s immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES), the pair were headed for a Philippine Airlines flight that would take them to China.
During questioning, Mia claimed she and Annie intended to join Mia’s alleged husband and presented authorities with a marriage certificate. However, the certificate was found to be a counterfeit document.
The BI determined she was “unaware” she was to be married, although she revealed Annie had arranged the marriage. Mia said she was introduced to the Chinese national on March 11 and was given ₱5,000 after the ceremony. Moreover, she was told her marriage would secure financial support for her family.
“This case underscores the disturbing reality of human trafficking in the guise of arranged or mail-order marriages. We will not allow our kababayans (countrymen), especially young women, to be exploited under false pretenses. These actions are not only illegal—they are inhumane,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado declared.
He said the agency remains committed in their efforts to combat human trafficking, in line with the President’s directive.
“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we continue to intensify border security and strengthen inter-agency cooperation to protect vulnerable Filipinos from abuse and exploitation,” Viado added.
The BI, he assured, is working in close cooperation with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and others to “ensure perpetrators are held accountable and victims receive proper support,” the agency said in a press release.
In a report by RH 29 Boy Gonzales, mother and daughter remain under the custody of IACAT for further investigation.
