20 Pinays rescued from surrogacy scheme in Cambodia — PH Embassy

The Cambodian National Police rescued 20 Filipino women in Kandal Province last September 23 who were trafficked into being surrogate mothers, the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh said on Wednesday.

Of the 20 victims, 13 are in “various stages of pregnancy” and currently in a local hospital. While seven others are awaiting repatriation, the embassy said.

However, authorities have yet to determine the entity behind the recruitment of these women.

“Based on preliminary interviews, the recruitment of these 20 Filipino women took place in cyberspace by an individual whose identity and nationality have yet to be determined conclusively,” the statement read.

“The recruiter with an apparently assumed name arranged for the women to travel to another Southeast Asian country but eventually sent them to Cambodia where surrogacy is banned.”

“At the time of their rescue, the women were found to be under the care of a local “nanny,” together with four other women from a neighboring country.”

The embassy said that it has already provided pre-natal support to the rescued victims. Further, it will continue to coordinate with the Cambodian authorities for the immediate resolution of the case.

While there is no law prohibiting surrogacy in the Philippines, existing laws and policies do not regulate the practice as well.

There were already bills filed at the House of Representatives regulating the conduct of Assisted Reproductive Technology and surrogacy procedure in the Philippines. But they remain pending at the committee level. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News