THIRTEEN Filipinas who were involved in child surrogacy in Cambodia have returned to the Philippines and have been taken into the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“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 Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement on Sunday.
“All 13 departed Phnom Penh and arrived safely in Manila following the grant of Royal Pardon by His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni on 26 December 2024.”
The 13 surrogate mothers with three babies, accompanied by a Cambodian doctor and a Filipino nurse, arrived in the Philippines on Sunday via Philippine Airlines, the DSWD noted in a separate statement.
The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia and Manila’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking handled the repatriation process for the 13 convicted Filipino women, who had been offered $10,000 to be surrogates.
Under Cambodian law, individuals who are caught being surrogates may face up to 20 years of imprisonment. A Cambodian court on Dec. 2 convicted the 13 Filipinos on Dec. 2 for violating the law on the suppression of human trafficking.
The department attributed the successful repatriation of the Filipino women to the commitment between both countries to combat human trafficking and other transnational crimes.
“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,” the department said.
Meanwhile, the DSWD said it treats the Filipinas as victims of human trafficking, noting that there is no law prohibiting or allowing surrogacy in the Philippines, “providing a legal gray area prone to abuse.”
The government treats the women, who were convicted by a local court in Cambodia, “as victims of trafficking,” Social Welfare Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian said in a statement.
He added that “all forms of assistance should be given to them.”
A center and residential care facility (CRCF) in Metro Manila was already being prepared as a temporary shelter for the 13 mothers and three babies, Elaine Fallarcuna, assistant secretary for International Affairs, said.
“While the surrogate mothers are in temporary shelter, the DSWD will help them communicate with their families for their reintegration,” she said.
The respective families of the surrogate mothers will also be assessed for the provision of the necessary services and intervention.”
The DSWD said transportation assistance back to their respective cities and provinces will also be provided.
“Other needed intervention such as counseling services will be provided during assessment by the assigned social worker in the CRCF,” it added. — John Victor D. Ordoñez and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
