MANILA - Eight Filipinos who were trafficked in Myanmar have been rescued and repatriated back to the Philippines Monday morning.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said 4 of the Filipinos were recruited online from Dubai to supposedly work as customer support representatives in Thailand. Instead, they were brought to Myanmar and forced to trick individuals into investing in cryptocurrency.

A Senate hearing earlier said Filipno trafficking victims were starved and not given salaries if they fail to scam individuals.

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The other four (4) females were detained for allegedly entering Myanmar illegally from Thailand.

The 8 Filipinos arrived 5:25 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 and were welcomed by DFA Acting Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose A. de Vega.

The DFA said the Myanmar-Thai Friendship Bridge, the border crossing closed for nearly three years, only reopened last January 2023 for the citizens of the two countries.

"Therefore, crossing by any other means (e.g., across the river) is illegal. Moreover, the legal entry points for foreigners, including Filipinos, are through Yangon, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw airports," the DFA advisory said.

The DFA also reminded Filipinos to be cautious of spurious jobs offered through social media and avoid falling victim to illegal recruitment and human trafficking schemes.

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