Hontiveros lauds DFA on rescue of trafficked OFWs from Cambodia
Published Feb 27, 2023 07:27 am
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, February 27 lauded the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for their successful rescue of the eight Filipinos who were trafficked into Cambodia to work as cryptocurrency scammers.
*Eight Filipinos that were trafficked into Cambodia to work as crypto currency scammers met with Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023 at the Senate of the Philippines. The victims shared their ordeals to the senator and thanked her for all the help that were given in rescuing them. (Photo by O/S Sen. Risa Hontiveros)*
The eight Filipinos are finally back in the Philippines and paid a courtesy call to the senator.
“Lubos kong ikinagagalak na sa wakas makakapiling na nila ang kanilang mga pamilya (I am very happy that finally they can be with their respective families),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“I thank our DFA officials for their steadfast work, the Cambodian police for closely coordinating with our embassy, and the civil society organizations and individuals who helped our office send additional food and basic necessities to our kababayans while they were waiting for their repatriation,” she said.
The victims were reportedly promised customer service or call center jobs, but they ended up being forced to dupe citizens from countries like the US and Canada to invest in cryptocurrency.
Most of the victims suffered physical and verbal abuse from alleged Chinese mafia that run the illegal cryptocurrency scams in Cambodia and in Myanmar especially if they fail to scam.
The eight Filipinos were rescued by Cambodian police from the abusive employers and were eventually turned over to the Philippine embassy in Cambodia.
“These were weeks filled with anxiety. As these crypto scam operations are a relatively new human trafficking scheme in the ASEAN region, there still seems to be a lack of consensus on how we view these victims, some maintaining that they are illegal workers or undocumented immigrants,” she said.
“Human trafficking victims are victims. Marami ay mga naglakas-loob lamang makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa dahil wala silang matinong trabaho sa Pilipinas (Many of them only dared to venture to work abroad because they have no meaningful work in the Philippines),” the senator noted.
“In their hope and desperation, they fall into the trap of human traffickers who prey on their multiple vulnerabilities. Sana huwag na natin baluktutin ang pagtanaw sa kanila (I hope we don't distort our view of them),” she stressed.
*Eight Filipinos that were trafficked into Cambodia to work as crypto currency scammers met with Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023 at the Senate of the Philippines. The victims shared their ordeals to the senator and thanked her for all the help that were given in rescuing them. (Photo by O/S Sen. Risa Hontiveros)*
The eight Filipinos are finally back in the Philippines and paid a courtesy call to the senator.
“Lubos kong ikinagagalak na sa wakas makakapiling na nila ang kanilang mga pamilya (I am very happy that finally they can be with their respective families),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“I thank our DFA officials for their steadfast work, the Cambodian police for closely coordinating with our embassy, and the civil society organizations and individuals who helped our office send additional food and basic necessities to our kababayans while they were waiting for their repatriation,” she said.
The victims were reportedly promised customer service or call center jobs, but they ended up being forced to dupe citizens from countries like the US and Canada to invest in cryptocurrency.
Most of the victims suffered physical and verbal abuse from alleged Chinese mafia that run the illegal cryptocurrency scams in Cambodia and in Myanmar especially if they fail to scam.
The eight Filipinos were rescued by Cambodian police from the abusive employers and were eventually turned over to the Philippine embassy in Cambodia.
“These were weeks filled with anxiety. As these crypto scam operations are a relatively new human trafficking scheme in the ASEAN region, there still seems to be a lack of consensus on how we view these victims, some maintaining that they are illegal workers or undocumented immigrants,” she said.
“Human trafficking victims are victims. Marami ay mga naglakas-loob lamang makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa dahil wala silang matinong trabaho sa Pilipinas (Many of them only dared to venture to work abroad because they have no meaningful work in the Philippines),” the senator noted.
“In their hope and desperation, they fall into the trap of human traffickers who prey on their multiple vulnerabilities. Sana huwag na natin baluktutin ang pagtanaw sa kanila (I hope we don't distort our view of them),” she stressed.