BUREAU of Immigration (BI) officers at Clark International Airport intercepted a 29-year-old woman on November 2, 2024, after she was instructed to pose as a nanny traveling with a married couple and their child.
The woman, who was attempting to board a flight to Malaysia with Cebu Pacific, claimed she was employed as a babysitter for the couple’s three-month-old daughter.
However, inconsistencies in the statements of the couple and the woman led to a secondary inspection, revealing that the woman was actually a trafficking victim.
She admitted to being recruited online for a surrogacy opportunity in Malaysia, but she no longer wished to pursue the surrogacy and had agreed to pose as a nanny to facilitate her departure.
The trafficker, who was supposed to arrange for multiple surrogates, used the “Bitbit” scheme to cover up the illegal surrogacy.
The “Bitbit scheme” is a trafficking method in which a female victim is deceived into working as a sex worker abroad. The trafficker typically uses a frequent traveler—someone who is familiar with immigration processes and likely not under suspicion—to accompany the victim.
The victim is often made to pose as a relative or companion of the traveler, or as someone in a legitimate role (like a nanny), to avoid detection during immigration checks.
The victim was referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance, while the trafficker faces charges under the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022. (JGS)
