The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has discovered that there are still Filipinos being trafficked to Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations to work as online scammers, among others, despite the many warnings from the Philippine government.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said there are a "few Filipinos" rescued at the border of Thailand and Cambodia who have fallen victims to human trafficking.
"Ang pangako sa kanila ay magtatrabaho sa Thailand pero pagdating doon, kung saan-saan sila iniikot, kasi may human trafficking din ngayon sa Southeast Asia. (They were promised jobs in Thailand but upon arriving there, they were taken to several places as part of human trafficking)," he said in a Laging Handa briefing.
"Kapag pumunta sa isang lugar, napipilitang magtrabaho sa POGO, sa illegal scamming at kung ano-ano pa man (Once settled, they are forced to work at POGOs or as illegal scammers, et cetera)," he added.
This happened although the Philippine government already repatriated at least 300 Filipinos who suffered the same plight at the Thai border with Myanmar and warned against it.
In February, at least eight Filipinos were arrested in Myanmar on its border with Thailand after violating foreign immigration-related laws, according to DFA.
"We are trying to see what we can do. Iyong mga natulungan natin dati kasi, tinutulungan natin mag-raise ng pera, iyong families dito, para mabayaran na lang iyong employer nila, ibalik iyong expenses para payagang makaalis na lang (Those we assisted before, we help them raise money so they could pay their debts to their employers and be allowed to leave their jobs)," de Vega said.