The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed the arrival of eight Filipinos from Cambodia. DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo José A. de Vega personally met them at NAIA Terminal 2 early this morning.
The eight Filipinos were deceived into working for an online scamming and catfishing syndicate in Cambodia’s Ouddar Meanchey and Kampot provinces. They were rescued by the Cambodian National Police and investigated by the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit before they were turned over to the General Department of Immigration.
In coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh, the DFA provided welfare assistance and arranged for the expedited investigation and eventual release of the Filipinos.
“Human trafficking in Southeast Asia is a serious regional issue, and the DFA is exerting efforts to ensure the safety of Filipinos wherever they are. We will continue to engage with the ASEAN Member States and international partners to clamp down on this abhorrent activity,” stated Undersecretary de Vega.
The DFA reiterates that tourists cannot work in Cambodia without a valid work permit, and customer service agent jobs in Southeast Asia are usually bogus. The DFA reminds the public to beware of online job offers that are too good to be true. Jobseekers should apply only through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or licensed recruitment agencies.
The DFA also thanks the honorable members of the Senate and House of Representatives for first bringing the issue to public attention. The DFA strongly supports legislative measures to end online job scams and the trafficking of Filipinos.
