MANILA — Immigration authorities intercepted a man posing as a pastor at the Clark International Airport (CIA) on November 1 for allegedly attempting to traffic three Filipinos to work illegally in scam hubs in Cambodia.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the suspect, who identified himself as “Pastor Falcon,” was about to board a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Bangkok, Thailand, with three individuals he claimed were his church members.

However, during separate interviews by members of the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), the three companions gave conflicting statements about their purpose of travel and their relationship with the alleged pastor.

Upon further questioning, they admitted that their real destination was Cambodia, where they had been promised jobs as call center agents and cooks. They said they were offered salaries of up to ₱50,000 a month but were unaware of the true nature of the work.

The victims also revealed that they sought the help of “Pastor Falcon,” who claimed he had previously escorted several Filipinos out of the country for work. A background check confirmed that he had indeed traveled abroad with at least one person who departed as a tourist and has yet to return.

Viado denounced the suspect’s use of religion to cover up illegal activities.

“He even presented a supposed endorsement letter from the congregation, saying that the three victims were church members passionate about serving others and sharing the love of Christ,” Viado said.
“It is disappointing how traffickers exploit religious activities as cover for their crimes. This fake pastor deserves to face charges for trafficking victims and deceiving them into exploitative work in scam hubs abroad,” he added.

The suspect and his three victims have been turned over to the Clark Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which will handle the investigation and the filing of charges against those involved.