Three suspected human traffickers have been charged before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly victimizing seven Filipino workers who were forced to work in a scam hub in Cambodia, the Bureau of Immigration reported.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the victims were promised legitimate jobs but were instead coerced into cyber scam operations under conditions of severe abuse.
The victims, recruited online, were instructed to pose as tourists to avoid detection. Upon their arrival in Myanmar, they were detained in scam compounds where they faced beatings, electrocution, and psychological abuse, with no rest days and withheld compensation if they failed to meet scam quotas.
Despite enduring physical and emotional trauma, many victims were initially reluctant to testify against their traffickers, fearing the suspects’ wealth and legal influence. Authorities said overcoming this fear was crucial to bringing charges against the perpetrators.
The victims’ repatriation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Philippine government, involving the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia.