Baby trafficking syndicates in Cambodia recruiting Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — Cambodian police have rescued 20 Filipino women who were allegedly trafficked into the country to be used as surrogate mothers in a baby trafficking ring.

Of the 20, at least 13 are pregnant and are currently receiving care at a local hospital, while the remaining seven are set to be repatriated, according to the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, October 8.

The embassy issued the statement in response to a report by the Cambodia-based Khmer Times on the same day that details the involvement of an unnamed Philippine agency in bringing Filipino women to Cambodia to serve as surrogate mothers, despite the country's ban on surrogacy. 

The 13 pregnant Filipino women confirmed that a Philippine agency, working with in vitro fertilization experts in Thailand, arranged their travel to Cambodia "with the ultimate goal of trafficking babies," according to the report.

Authorities' interviews of the 20 Filipino women revealed that they were recruited online by an individual who used an apparently "assumed name." 

Initially promised travel to another Southeast Asian country, the 20 Filipinos were instead sent to Cambodia. 

The identity and nationality of the recruiter has yet to be determined, the embassy said.

"The Embassy emphasizes that human trafficking is a transnational crime, and aside from the Filipino women, the involvement of other nationalities has been established," the embassy said.

"At the time of their rescue, the women were found to be under the care of a local 'nanny,' together with four other women from a neighboring country," it added. 

The plight of the 20 trafficked women reflects the alarming rise of online scams across Southeast Asia, where individuals are often lured with false promises of legitimate work, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a televised briefing on Wednesday, October 9. 

While the department has assisted in the repatriation of several trafficked Filipinos in Cambodia, De Vega said this is the department's first time hearing about the use of surrogate mothers for such scams.

Cambodia banned surrogacy in 2016 but has yet to pass a law that criminalizes it.

"The problem, according to our embassy, is that we might not even know the agency's physical address because all contact has been made through social media," he said in mixed Filipino and English.

De Vega said most of the 20 apparently "knew what they were getting into." 

"It's not one size fits all. We believe most knew... But it's impossible that there weren't at least one or two who thought they were contracted to do something else," he said. 

"It's usually like this: They're told there's work in Thailand and Cambodia involving computer or tourism work, but when they get there, they're suddenly given another job," the foreign affairs undersecretary said.

De Vega said the same scheme could be taking place in other countries besides Cambodia.

Scam operations in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations have ensnared numerous Filipinos, subjecting them to human trafficking and forced labor within cyber scam compounds.

Lured by false promises of legitimate jobs, many find themselves trapped in brutal conditions, coerced into working for online scam operators. They also reportedly face threats of violence if they attempt to escape.

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