MANILA – A high-ranking official from the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a stern warning to Filipino women about the dangers of being lured into illegal surrogacy schemes. This caution comes in the wake of the conviction of 13 Filipinas in Cambodia for breaching the country’s surrogacy laws.
During a recent briefing, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty highlighted the deceptive allure of substantial financial offers made by illegal recruiters to Filipino women. He stressed that the promised large sums, reportedly reaching up to half a million pesos, mask the severe repercussions faced by the victims.
Ty urged Filipino women to think twice before succumbing to the temptation of becoming surrogate mothers for such high payments. He warned, “If you are considering this option for a large sum, please reconsider. The fate that befell our unfortunate compatriots could very well happen to you.”
He also pointed out the broader implications of these illegal activities, emphasizing that the children born from these scams are also victims. “We must remember that the children born from these illegal surrogacy schemes are victims too. We are currently facing challenges on how to handle these children once they are brought back to the Philippines,” Ty added.
Furthermore, Ty revealed that the DOJ has pinpointed a recruitment agency in the Philippines, based on the accounts of seven repatriated victims. He stated, “From their stories, we have identified an agency and a recruiter here in the Philippines, which we are now investigating criminally.”