At least 21 Filipino trafficking victims recently repatriated from Myanmar have shared harrowing accounts of abuse and deception, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Monday.

The victims arrived in Metro Manila on 25 June via a Cebu Pacific flight from Thailand.

One female victim recounted being coerced into crossing a river into Myanmar and forced to perform online romance scams targeting US citizens. She was made to work 14 hours daily with no days off. Another male victim described being forced to do duck walks and choked when he failed to meet quotas.

“He also reported threats of electrocution if they attempted to report the abuse,” the BI said in a statement.

Of the repatriated Filipinos, two initially left the country as overseas Filipino workers, while 19 departed posing as tourists.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado stated that the BI is currently monitoring a rise in cases involving Southeast Asian syndicates.

The BI has turned over the victims’ accounts to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for an investigation into the recruiters and others involved in facilitating the victims’ deployment.