BI intercepts Filipina going to Japan using fake passport

August 14, 2019

The Bureau of Immigration intercepted a 19-year-old Filipina going to Japan at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport ( NAIA) for presenting a fake passport.

Immigration spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval did not disclose name of the girl following anti-trafficking rules but revealed the interception transpired on August 6.

Sandoval said the person presented a five-day itinerary to Jeju Island and Tokyo, to allegedly go on a vacation with her Japanese boyfriend.

“When she presented her passport to Immigration Officer Mia Talatala, she immediately saw that something was off," she said.

"The passport presented did not contain the usual security features of a regular Philippine passport," she added.

In a text message to The Daily Manila Shimbun, Sandoval said the girl was her boyfriend during the incident.

“He voluntarily skipped the flight to be with his partner,” she said.

 She added that the immigration officers did not see any involvement of the Japanese boyfriend in the acquisition of the fake passport.

 “The victim admitted that she got it through a fixer online,” said Sandoval.

Meanwhile, Immigration Travel Control and Enforcement Unit NAIA 1 head Ma. Carelyn Taberna said their alert officers went to the forensic document laboratory after feeling suspicious on the passport.

"Our alert officers immediately referred the passport to our forensic document laboratory which confirmed that it is indeed fraudulent," said Taberna.

Taberna said during the interview, the victim admitted that she applied for the passport last July through a person she met online.

"The victim said that she paid P2,000 to a fixer who promised her swift delivery of her passport via courier," said Taberna.

"Her passport shows that it was issued in 2016, despite her having only applied last month," Taberna added.

Following the incident, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente issued a reminder to Filipinos planning to travel abroad to secure documents through proper channels.

"Secure the proper documentation, don't employ the help of fixers you meet online. Most of the time victims end up being duped, with fake documents," he warned. Ella Dionisio/DMS