In a radio interview, Sandoval said they received information that the relieved officers, one assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport while the other in Clark International Airport, were in cahoots with “external parties” in committing such an illegal activity.
He said the two had been employees of the bureau for at least five years.
“They were relieved po based on intelligence information. Sila po ay temporarily nilagay po muna natin sa bac-end office para hindi po sila maka-hamper sa ongoing investigation ito sa kasong ito,” she said.
(They were relieved based on intelligence information. We have temporarily placed them in the back-end office so that they will not hamper the ongoing investigation in this case.)
“Kapag nakita po natin na talaga namang totoo na may involvement itong mga ito sa ganito pong mga scheme ay tutuluyan po talaga ito ni Commissioner [Norman Garcera] Tansingco,” Sandoval added.
(When we confirm that they really are involved in these schemes, Commissioner [Norman Garcera] Tansingco will really put a stop to it.)
Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier urged concerned government agencies to conduct investigation on the claims of several overseas Filpino workers (OFWs) that they were offered to work in a telemarketing firm in Thailand but ended up being crypto-currency scammers of a Chinese syndicate in Myanmar.
One of the OFWs trafficked to Myanmar said he was able to bypass immigration procedures after his recruiter made him use a fake airport concessionaire ID which brought him directly to the airport boarding area.
On Wednesday, January 18, Hontiveros said Filipinos were also being illegally trafficked to Cambodia to work as crypto-scammers.
One of the victims who sought the senator’s help after she was illegally recruited to Cambodia said they flew out from Clark airport with the assistance of immigration officers. (SunStar Philippines)