Rep. Marissa Magsino of the OFW Party List filed House Resolution 2055, seeking a congressional inquiry in response to alarming reports of Filipino women being illegally recruited and trafficked abroad to become surrogate mothers.
The lawmaker said 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 20 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were lured by a local agency with promises of employment in Thailand, only to be forced instead into an infant-trafficking scheme in Cambodia. Surrogacy is illegal in the latter country.
A total of 13 of these women were found pregnant through artificial means and are now facing human trafficking-related charges, while the remaining seven are at risk of deportation for violating immigration laws.
“Surrogacy must not come at the cost of our women’s dignity and rights… 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,” Magsino said.
This inquiry would 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.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy is working to repatriate the women, emphasizing that they are victims of child traffickers rather than offenders.
