Thirteen Filipino women who served as surrogate mothers and were sentenced in Cambodia for human trafficking have returned to the Philippines Sunday, December 29, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has announced.
According to the DFA, the women were granted a royal pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia.
“Upon the request of the Philippine Embassy and with the endorsement of the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Royal Decree pardoning all 13 Filipinos paved the way for their release and immediate repatriation,” the DFA said in a statement.
The DFA facilitated the repatriation of the surrogates in collaboration with the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.
It was previously reported that 20 Filipinas who were allegedly trafficked across the Cambodian border were rescued by Cambodian police. Thirteen of them were found to be pregnant and were taken to a Cambodian hospital, while the others were identified as immigration offenders and were repatriated.
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The Philippine government expressed gratitude to the Royal Government of Cambodia for the humanitarian treatment extended to the women throughout the investigative and judicial processes.
The DFA said: “Their safe homecoming is a testament to the longstanding friendly relations between the Philippines and Cambodia and the firm commitment of both governments to combat human trafficking and other transnational crimes.”
It also reminded Filipinos that surrogacy is banned in Cambodia and that violators will be subject to legal penalties.
