Senator Risa Hontiveros personally welcomed over 100 Filipinos who arrived in Manila on Wednesday, March 26, after being rescued from scam compounds in Myanmar.
“Salamat sa Diyos at nakauwi na ang mga kababayan natin. Kahit masaya tayo na nasa Pilipinas na sila, sobrang nakakagalit ang mga naranasan nila sa kamay ng mga Chinese scam bosses sa Myanmar,” Hontiveros said.
The senator, together with Akbayan Partylist nominee Atty. Chel Diokno sat down with some of the repatriates who had reached out to them for rescue. The victim-survivors then shared gruesome stories of torture, rape, and other forms of violence.
“May babaeng ginahasa, may buntis na binugbog at kinuryente, may mga hindi pinakain ng ilang linggo. Para silang nasa impyerno. Our government must strictly ensure that not another Filipino steps foot in that hell again,” Hontiveros said.
The senator also calls on the international community to help crack down on these transnational criminal syndicates. “The Philippine government cannot do this alone. Governments and international bodies must collectively work together to keep our citizens safe,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros first led the Senate inquiries on human trafficking to scam compounds in 2022, after her office facilitated the rescue of Filipino nationals who were trafficked into Myanmar.
“Tatlong taon na mula nung naibunyag natin ang karumal-dumal na kalakarang ito, pero hanggang ngayon may mga Pilipino pa rin daw na napupunta sa mga scam compounds. Banned nga ang mga POGO na ginagawang scam hubs sa Pinas, pero sa ibang bansa naman ay tuloy-tuloy pa. Kaya panawagan ko po sa mga kababayan natin na wag basta-basta maniwala sa mga travel ads o job ads papuntang Thailand, Cambodia, o Myanmar na nakikita sa social media. Maging mapanuri at mapagmatyag,” the senator said.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa DMW, OWWA, at DFA sa pagpupursige para mapauwing ligtas ang mga kababayan natin. I hope that the victim-survivors be given the proper psychosocial intervention dahil ibang klase ang trauma nila. Dapat din maisali sila sa mga reintegration programs para tuluyang makabangon muli,” Hontiveros concluded.