12 human trafficking victims from Myanmar repatriated — DMW

The Department of Migrant Workers announced Thursday the successful repatriation of 12 Filipinos who were rescued from illegal recruitment and human trafficking operations in Myanmar.

DMW said the 12 victims arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Wednesday and are now receiving further assistance from the agency.

“The victims were recruited through Facebook by a Filipino who offered jobs as customer sales representatives in Myanmar, only to be exploited and forced to work as online scammers without pay or rest days,” the statement read.

During their time in Myanmar, the victims said they were tortured through physical abuse, beaten, and electrocuted.

When they asked to leave, their employer demanded them to pay $15,000.

“Unable to pay, the workers ran away from the scam city and were assisted by the Myanmar military,” the DMW said.

The 12 victims were among 250 people held at a holding center and later released at the Thai border. They were repatriated through the joint efforts of the Philippine Embassy and Migrant Workers Office in Bangkok.

The victims were provided with immediate psychosocial, financial and legal assistance through the DMW, Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Department of Justice (DoJ), and NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking (NAIA-TFAT).

The DMW warned aspiring OFWs to be more cautious in entertaining job offers they receive via social media platforms. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News