MANILA, Nov. 28 -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday reported the interception of a 35-year-old woman from Sulu who attempted to depart the country using what appears to be a "shared identity," a form of identity theft that remains a recurring issue among aspiring overseas workers from far-flung provinces.

In a news release, Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the female passenger was barred from leaving the country last Nov. 24 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 while attempting to board an AirAsia flight to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

During initial processing, the passenger informed officers that she was unable to write and had to be assisted in completing her travel form. She claimed that she is bound f...