AFTER being forced to work in a scam hub under abusive conditions in Cambodia, a total of 10 Filipino trafficking victims arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 last September 7, following their repatriation.
In her report, Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) head Mary Jane Hizon said the repatriated individuals arrived from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and included six in their late twenties, three in their mid-thirties, and one aged 65.
In their narration to authorities, the victims recounted that they were lured out of the country on different dates by traffickers they had met online, with 8 of them leaving under the false pretense of traveling as tourists. Two of them departed as overseas workers, but were tricked by their recruiter.
Once they arrived in Cambodia, their foreign employer confiscated their passports and forced them to work as online scammers involved in romance and investment fraud schemes.
The victims said they were forced to pay a penalty of USD 6,000 to $,800 for refusing to participate in the scam operations. They also described brutal working conditions—including torture for failing to meet daily quotas, confinement within the compound, and punishment by being forced to stand for up to 15 hours without rest.
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia acted promptly upon receiving the victims’ plea for help, leading to their safe and timely repatriation.
Sandoval added that after completing immigration procedures, the victims were provided post-care services by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The victims were endorsed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in filing legal cases against their recruiters.
