4 trafficked Filipinos repatriated from Cambodia

On Tuesday, authorities reported the repatriation of four Filipino men who were allegedly trafficked to Cambodia through a job scam.

The victims, aged 27 to 46, left as tourists or via an unofficial route and were promised high salaries in Thailand but ended up running online scams against foreigners in Cambodia.

One victim described traveling from Palawan to Kota Kinabalu by speedboat before reaching Cambodia, experiencing maltreatment, long working hours without pay until he escaped and sought help from the Philippine Embassy.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado denounced human trafficking and urged the public to be cautious of online job offers, using licensed recruitment agencies instead.

The four men returned to Manila on Saturday aboard a Philippine Airlines flight from Phnom Penh with an ongoing investigation into those involved in their trafficking, including possible internal lapses at immigration.