The Department of Justice (DoJ) is considering using seven Filipino women repatriated from Cambodia, who were implicated in an illegal surrogacy scheme, as witnesses in human trafficking cases against their recruiters.

The development followed a Cambodian court’s sentencing of 13 other Filipino women involved in the surrogacy scheme to two years in prison.

Justice Undersecretary Nicolas Ty stated that if the seven would agree to testify, the government will provide them with security and allowances for their participation in court hearings.

The women have already received medical aid, financial assistance, and livelihood support from the Philippine government to help them reintegrate into their communities.

Members of the group were arrested in Cambodia’s Kandal province as part of a broader crackdown on human trafficking and surrogacy, which is illegal under Cambodian law.

Thirteen of the 20 Filipinos remain under medical care in Cambodia as they are pregnant, while the other seven have been deported.

Ty emphasized that under Philippine law, the women are classified as victims of human trafficking, even in the absence of specific legislation addressing surrogacy.

The DoJ official noted that the testimonies of the seven women are expected to bolster legal actions against the perpetrators of the scheme.

The surrogacy case has highlighted the vulnerabilities of migrant workers, prompting advocates to call for stronger protections and stricter measures to dismantle trafficking networks.