8 Filipino human trafficking victims rescued from Myanmar now back in PH

Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega meets with eight Filipino human trafficking victims from Myanmar on Monday, February 13, 2023. Courtesy: DFA

MANILA, Philippines — Eight Filipinos who have been trafficked to Myanmar have been rescued and returned to the Philippines on Monday morning.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the victims arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.

Four of the eight victims, the DFA noted, were males “recruited online from Dubai to supposedly work as customer support representatives in Thailand.” However, they were brought to Myanmar and forced to work as cryptocurrency scammers.

READ: Hontiveros: Chinese mafia plans all-Filipino scammer team in Myanmar

The DFA advised Filipinos to be vigilant of “spurious jobs” posted on social media to avoid human trafficking schemes.

“It is vital to pass through the legal deployment processes in the Philippines and arrive in their countries of destination not as tourists but with actual working visas,” it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the other four victims were females “detained for allegedly entering Myanmar illegally from Thailand.”

The Myanmar-Thai Friendship Bridge, a border crossing, closed for almost three years and was only reopened for the citizens of the two nations last month.

The DFA said that crossing by other means is illegal. The legal entry points for foreigners are through Yangon, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw airports.

The eight victims were welcomed by the DFA team led by its Acting Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega.

De Vega lauded the efforts of government agencies and the assistance provided by Myanmar authorities for the rescue efforts.

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