Pregnant Filipino women arrested in Cambodia for surrogacy could be prosecuted after giving birth

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BI raises concern over surrogacy-related human trafficking

Published on:

Nov 02, 2024, 8:13 am

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) is sounding the alarm over the increase in human trafficking cases involving women recruited for illegal surrogacy abroad, following the repatriation of seven victims on October 23, 2024.

These women, aged 20 to 30, were recruited to work as surrogate mothers for unknown clients abroad, the BI said in a press release on Saturday, November 2, 2024.

Merriam-Webster defines a surrogate mother as a "woman who becomes pregnant by artificial insemination or by implantation of a fertilized egg created by in vitro fertilization for the purpose of carrying the fetus to term for another person or persons."

The BI said three of the victims left the country under the guise of visiting relatives but fell victim to deceptive promises of surrogacy.

The remaining four had no records and likely exited through unauthorized means, the BI added.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said investigations reveal a scheme where traffickers recruit online, then arrange complex travel through multiple borders to avoid detection.

“The Philippines is being targeted by traffickers who lure women with surrogacy offers. We urge Filipinos to avoid these offers, as surrogacy abroad often carries serious legal risks,” Viado said.

In October, 20 Filipino women were rescued by authorities after reportedly being trafficked to become surrogate mothers. Of the 20 women, 13 were pregnant through artificial means.

The pregnant women were supposed to be transferred to another country where they would give birth.

The seven others were deported by the Cambodian government over immigration law violations.

BI officers also intercepted a 37-year-old woman recruited for surrogacy and headed to Georgia on October 15.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, has earlier sought the conduct of a congressional inquiry into this "new form" of a human trafficking scheme victimizing Filipino women. (JGS/SunStar Philippines)