Moms seek justice for Cambodia scam victims

Two mothers of Filipino women trafficked into scam compounds in Cambodia are calling for justice, sharing the harrowing stories of how their daughters were tricked into bogus jobs and later abused.

At a press conference on Monday organized by a migrant rights advocacy group, Lolita Bacarra and Erlinda Alberca opened up about the ordeal their daughters endured after falling victim to illegal recruitment schemes.

Bacarra said her daughter left the Philippines in early January after being offered a supposed customer service job with a monthly salary of USD 700 (around P39,000). The offer came through Facebook, from someone who never showed their face.

Before she left, Bacarra’s sister-in-law warned her to be cautious — no one had verified if the girl she was speaking to was really Bacarra’s daughter.

Upon arrival in Cambodia, her daughter was forced to do housekeeping instead of the job she was promised. She was eventually told she would have to assist in scamming other Filipinos running businesses abroad.

“They were made to clean toilets. That’s not what she signed up for,” Bacarra said, adding that the victims also suffered physical abuse.

Alberca’s daughter, who left for Cambodia in March, described being brought to a heavily guarded compound surrounded by armed men.

She and the other victims contacted the Philippine Embassy on 10 March. But before their rescue on 19 March, they were discovered and beaten by their captors, who suspected them of reaching out to authorities.

“They were kicked over and over. The syndicate kept asking who reported them to the embassy. When no one spoke up, they were beaten with guns, punched, and kicked,” Alberca recounted.

Though their daughters have since returned to the Philippines, both mothers said the trauma still lingers. They vowed never to allow them to work overseas again.

Bacarra and Alberca’s daughters were among 10 repatriated Filipinos who arrived last Sunday after being rescued from trafficking-linked scam hubs operating across Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar.