Six Filipino men allegedly recruited online to work as soldiers abroad were intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the agency said.
The BI reported that the individuals were stopped by immigration officers at various airports.
The first case involved a 52-year-old Filipino man intercepted on March 31, 2026 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. He initially claimed he was traveling as a tourist to visit a friend. However, a secondary inspection by the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) revealed he was an army reservist recruited through social media to join a foreign military.
He was reportedly offered a monthly salary of US$2,500 and a sign-on bonus of US$25,000.
Two other men, aged 38 and 39, were intercepted at Clark International Airport Terminal 2 after officers found they had been recruited through a Facebook group. They were allegedly offered a monthly salary of $1,500 and a $30,000 joining bonus to work as soldiers abroad.
Two more men, aged 49 and 50, were stopped on April 5, 2026 after attempting to leave for Ethiopia for the same purpose. A week later, a 51-year-old man was intercepted after being recruited to work as a soldier abroad via a route through China.
All six individuals were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and for the filing of appropriate cases against their recruiters.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the operations are part of efforts to protect Filipinos from human trafficking and illegal recruitment, in line with the administration’s campaign.
He warned the public against suspicious online job offers, particularly those involving “security” or “military” work in undisclosed locations with little or no documentation.
“Do not fall for offers that sound too good to be true, especially those recruited through social media,” Viado said.