THIRTEEN Filipinas convicted in Cambodia for illegal surrogacy have been deported following a royal pardon from Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni last Sunday, December 29.
The pardon was secured on December 26, through the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Cambodian Government themselves.
“Upon the request of the Philippine Embassy and with the endorsement of the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Royal Decree pardoning all 13 Filipinos paved the way for their release and immediate repatriation,” said the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The thirteen Filipinas will remain at the temporary shelters provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
They will be given assistance they need by the DSWD Field Office – National Capital Region under the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Programs.
“The DSWD as the Co-Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) treats the 13 surrogate mothers as victims of trafficking and all forms of assistance should be given to them including the provision of transportation and temporary shelter in one of the Department’s centers and residential care facilities (CRCFs),” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said.
He also added that DSWD will keep in touch with the families of the surrogate mothers to prepare them for the reintegration. The families will be assessed for the provision of necessary services and intervention.
The DFA previously reported the rescue of 20 Filipino women allegedly trafficked by a recruitment agency to act as surrogate mothers.
Seven of these women who were not yet pregnant were repatriated back in October, while the pregnant ones were held at a Cambodian hospital.
Aside from the mothers, three babies were also repatriated, accompanied by a Cambodian doctor and a Filipina nurse.
According to Cambodian law, the babies’ citizenships will be similar to their mothers’— all of whom are Filipinos.
The Filipina women were considered by the Philippine government to be trafficking victims. The Philippines lacks specific legislation to regulate surrogacy but in Cambodia, surrogacy has been illegal since 2016.
The DFA reminded Filipinos that surrogacy is illegal in Cambodia, and that violators will be subject to felonies.
