NAIA rescues Filipina victim of mail-order bride scheme

Immigration authorities at NAIA rescued a 22-year-old Filipina who was allegedly a victim of a mail-order bride scheme while attempting to depart for Shanghai, China.

She initially claimed she was visiting her husband in China, whom she met online and married after a brief courtship.

However, immigration officers became suspicious due to inconsistencies in her story and the documents she presented.

The victim eventually admitted that she met her husband for the first time only a day after connecting with him through an internet app in November, and they married two days later for P50,000.

Her husband had also inquired if she received commissions for referring other Filipinas, which she denied.

She has been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado warned that social media facilitates quick recruitment for such schemes, often trapping Filipinas in exploitative pseudo-marriages where they are forced into unpaid domestic work.