The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured on Friday that it is exerting every effort to secure a pardon from Cambodia’s King for 13 pregnant Filipinas imprisoned for acting as surrogate mothers, a practice deemed illegal in the Southeast Asian nation.
In an ABS-CBN News report, the DFA confirmed that a “whole-of-government approach” is being employed to facilitate the return of the women to the Philippines, with the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh actively coordinating with Cambodian authorities.
The Filipinas were among 24 foreign women arrested in Kandal province last September and later sentenced to four years in prison for their involvement in a surrogacy operation. Cambodian authorities accused them of participating in a human trafficking scheme, alleging that they intended to sell the babies they carried in exchange for money.
The Philippine government maintains that the women are victims of human trafficking. Surrogacy remains a legal gray area in the Philippines, as no laws explicitly permit or prohibit the practice, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation.
The incident has also drawn attention to similar cases elsewhere. Earlier this month, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted two Filipinas attempting to leave the country, reportedly recruited as surrogate mothers for a scheme in Georgia, Europe. Senator Risa Hontiveros has called for a Senate investigation into the rising concerns over surrogacy trafficking.
