IN response to alarming reports of Filipino women being illegally recruited and trafficked abroad to become surrogate mothers, Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino of the OFW Party List filed Monday House Resolution No. 2055.
The resolution aims to identify and address gaps in labor recruitment, migration policies, and anti-human trafficking laws to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable women.
Recent investigations revealed that twenty (20) Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were lured by a local agency with promises of employment in Thailand, but were instead forced into an infant-trafficking scheme in Cambodia.
Thirteen (13) of these women were found pregnant through artificial means and are now facing human trafficking-related charges, while the remaining seven (7) are at risk of deportation for violating immigration laws.
“Surrogacy must not come at the cost of our women’s dignity and rights,” Rep. Magsino stated. “These women were promised legitimate jobs, only to find themselves victims of a heinous trafficking scheme. We must take immediate action to protect them and ensure such exploitation is curbed.”
Surrogacy is illegal in Cambodia, and the Philippine Embassy is working diligently to repatriate the women, emphasizing that they are victims of child traffickers rather than offenders.
The resolution highlights the urgent need for comprehensive legislative measures to protect the rights and welfare of Filipino women and their future children aspiring to work overseas.
This inquiry will also investigate the broader implications of such trafficking schemes, which represent a significant violation of human rights, particularly against the rights of women and children.
The lady solon added: “It is our duty to hold accountable those who exploit the vulnerable and to strengthen our laws to ensure no Filipino woman is ever deceived or trafficked again.”
As the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (IACAT) monitor these cases, Rep. Magsino’s resolution seeks to ensure that no Filipino woman falls prey to similar deceitful schemes in the future.
House Resolution 2055 is also being pushed by Rep. Magsino as the founder and chairperson of the Anti-Trafficking OFW Movement (ATOM), which was launched in 2017.
