Babies of ‘surrogate’ moms from Cambodia eyed for adoption

The Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday disclosed that adoption is being eyed for the babies of 13 surrogate mothers who recently returned to the Philippines after being granted a Royal pardon in Cambodia if they have no capability to rear them.

In a statement, the DoJ said three of the Filipinas who were repatriated have their babies with them, while the rest are pregnant.

Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Authority for Child Care are looking into whether the Filipinas can fulfill their duties as mothers.

In the event the mothers cannot do so, the state would take the babies in and consider getting them adopted.

This comes following the arrival last Sunday of the 13 Filipinas after being pardoned in Cambodia for violating the country’s human trafficking law.

They are among 20 Filipinas rounded up last October by Cambodian authorities in connection with an illegal operation that traffics foreign women into the Southeast Asian nation to become surrogate mothers. Surrogacy is outlawed in Cambodia.

Seven other Filipinas who did not get pregnant were never charged in Cambodia and returned to the Philippines last October.

On the other hand, Ty said the 13 mothers are under the custody of the DSWD until they are ready to reintegrate into society.

The DoJ official said the government will provide them with help and protection and also assist them in gathering enough courage to file charges against their recruiters.

He added that the Bureau of Immigration has been keeping a close watch on the country’s international ports for Filipinas being trafficked to become surrogate mothers.

“We have already rescued some at the airport after discovering they were being trafficked to become surrogate mothers,” said Ty, as he assured that the recruiters of those intercepted are already facing criminal charges.