ANOTHER illegal surrogacy trafficking attempt to Georgia was thwarted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) after its personnel intercepted two Filipino victims at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stated that illegal surrogacy is considered a trafficking activity.
“We remain vigilant to protect individuals and prevent the trafficking of victims,” he continued. “We urge the public to exercise caution and stay alert to this form of victimization,” Viado added.
The two victims, whose identities are kept confidential for their protection, revealed on November 27 that they had been recruited through Facebook by an online recruiter. They were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation.
Initially, they claimed to be acquaintances and professionals traveling on a self-funded leisure trip to Tbilisi, Georgia. However, their story was disproven when secondary inspectors discovered that their documents were fraudulent.
The victims later admitted that they had been offered the opportunity to serve as surrogate mothers for an unidentified individual, with a monthly salary of P700,000.
According to the victims, the recruiter had explicitly instructed them to undergo a physical medical examination before traveling to Georgia.
