Senator Joel Villanueva has urged the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to go after illegal recruiters and human traffickers who deceived Filipinos into working in scam hubs in Myanmar.
He also reminded local recruitment agencies to thoroughly vet foreign partners to prevent OFWs from being misled into illegal work.
Villanueva thanked DMW, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Foreign Affairs, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in the Philippines, and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission for rescuing trafficked Filipinos, warning that victims suffer not only costly repatriations but severe physical and mental trauma.
He called on agencies to strengthen information drives to help OFWs spot suspicious recruitment schemes and asked recruiters to report dubious operators.
The government recently repatriated 346 Filipinos lured into scam hubs in Yangon, with President Marcos directing full assistance for the victims.IMT
