TwEeThUmBsUp

Bad business

I found out the gimmicks of some Filipinos living in abroad on how to smuggle their kababayans to another country. I can understand that these Filipinos are just as eager to earn more than what they get in the Philippines, and are therefore desperate to go abroad. But the fact that I detest is that the others are taking advantage of this need. Filipino comrades who are already in the host country are making money out of a possible swindle to the others. Okay, granted, some did got here, managed to work and eventually send money back to the Philippines to pay off debts incurred trying to arrange to leave the country in the first place. The thing is, most of them are caught anyway the minute the plane lands in the “new hope” land.

One trick is to invite singers to do a concert in a certain country. Then the organizer finds people who are interested to go abroad. Demands a certain fee, which is normally around 250T pesos. They will then apply for a visa for these fellow Filipinos as a member of the entourage of the singer. For example, some will be presented as a member of the dance group or the musicians or the production assistants.

In Belgium, this strategy has already been busted by the Belgian Interpole. There were a series of concerts done by some really good and well known singers, who unbeknownst (I am assuming that they are not connected to the con, of course!) to the said singers they were just used as the front for human smuggling. It was so frustrating. A lot of really desperate folks got swindled by that lady who was then the organizer of the concerts. The funny thing is, when I came to Germany, I met the counterpart of that Filipina in Belgium here in Germany. What a small world talaga. I also found out just recently, that this Filipina who has been living here for almost twenty years, has already brought a lot of Filipinos over. 250 grand for every Filipino brought over. And that's just the average price. Sometimes, she takes advantage of Filipinos who are here without legal documents, whose only wish is that another member of the family would be able to come as well. Then she starts asking for 280T to 350T per person. The problem is, kung hindi naka pasa sa talent interview ang mga ito, then they don't get their Visas at hindi na rin nila makukuha ang pera nila. They are promised that they would leave with the next group and that they should just wait. Believe me, the waiting time takes almost forever. I know this for a fact, because I also happened to meet one of the victims. Violy (not her real name), a mother to 11 kids, has been living here in germany for 14 years as TNT. Violy paid 250T cash for the first try. Her daughter failed the talent interview. She was promised to be on the next plane together with the second singer performing another Europe tour. Sad to say, mother & daughter waited for 18 months before finally hearing the news of the next concert tour. But, Violy was asked to pay again another 180T to tide over the processing of her daughter's papers and plane ticket. "So, what happened to the first payment?", she asked. "Well, it was also used to process her previous documents", was the answer that she got! grabe!!!!

Another trick: Somebody here in Germany, knows somebody who says he can get a "Pre-Approved" visa. They sell each for $5000.00 U.S. They send this "visas" to the Philippines and somebody there already has contacts and already claimed money from the victims. Chances are 85% they will be caught the minute they enter Germany. I know for a fact that this is true, because, this lady who has access to the so called "pre-approved" visas also does part time jobs as interpreter for the Police at the Airport. And she has claimed that it may have been one of "them" (referring to the visa that she sent to the Philippines). I don't know if that was meant as a joke or if it was for real.

I strongly detest these good-for-nothing- kababayan human trafficker, taking advantage of our kapwa Pinoys. Buhay pa man din sila ay sinusunog na ang kaluluwa nila sa impyerno! Nakukuha niya pang i kuwento ang mga ito in a bragging sort of way. Claiming she is simply doing kawang-gawa to fellow Pinoys. What?!?

Posted by missP at July 19, 2004 10:45 AM