Three repatriated Filipinas forced to work as GROs in Malaysia, says BI

May 4, 2025 , 01:06 PM

By Kim Del Callar

(May 4, 2025) – Three Filipinas were repatriated to the Philippines after being forced into “sex work” in Malaysia, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Sunday.

The BI said the women, all victims of human trafficking, boarded a small boat to Malaysia through illegal maritime routes.

They were recruited on social media and were promised work as waitresses in Malaysia with monthly incomes ranging from P40,000 to P60,000, according to the investigation. They, however, were forced to work as guest relations officers in bars.

“These young women were lured by false promises, smuggled out of the country through unauthorized routes, and forced into degrading conditions abroad,” said BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado in a media release.

The women, aged 30 to 32, arrived at the Port of Zamboanga last month.
Two of them left the country in November through the so-called backdoor route. They were detained in Malaysia for five months due to a lack of proper work documents.

Meanwhile, the other victim revealed that she had been trafficked as early as 2021 and had been subjected to repeated exploitation.

“The Bureau of Immigration reminds the public, especially those seeking employment abroad, to be cautious of offers made online and to process their applications through legal and accredited channels,” said the BI.

Over 200 Filipinos have been repatriated from Myanmar in recent months after being forced to work in scam hubs. Some were even tortured and subjected to inhumane labor conditions.

Last month, the BI sounded the alarm over rising cases of human trafficking of Filipinos in Cambodia. They were also made to work in scam operations.

The National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippines National Police investigated 417 cases of human trafficking in 2024, an increase from 277 cases in 2023, according to a report from the United States State Department.

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