The Philippines and Cambodia have taken a strong stand together—vowing to fight back against the growing menace of online scam farms and human trafficking that have trapped countless innocent people, including many Filipinos.
For the past three years, traffickers have lured Filipinos and other nationals with promises of good jobs, only to force them into slave-like conditions in online scam facilities. These operations have spread alarmingly fast across Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) admitted that an unknown number of Filipinos remain trapped in these scam farms, but assured the public that efforts to rescue them are ongoing.
In Phnom Penh, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation against these crimes. The pact was sealed during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit, where both countries emphasized the urgency of protecting citizens from modern-day slavery.
The deal amends their 2016 memorandum of understanding, expanding its scope to tackle human trafficking, cybercrime, online fraud, and other non-traditional security threats.
President Marcos, in his remarks, warned of the dangers:
“Human trafficking, cybercrime, illicit drugs, and other transnational threats affect the safety of our citizens and the stability of our societies. That is why we agreed to strengthen collaboration… so our response will be swift, coordinated, and effective.”
The United Nations has also raised the alarm, calling the situation a “humanitarian and human rights crisis” as thousands of victims continue to suffer in these criminal hubs. Many of them were initially promised legal jobs, only to be kidnapped and sold from one fraudulent operation to another.
The DFA strongly reminded Filipinos to follow proper procedures with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) before seeking jobs abroad, as illegal recruiters often prey on those who skip official processes.
With this renewed partnership, the Philippines and Cambodia are sending a clear message: scam farms and human traffickers will not go unchallenged.
