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MANILA — The 13 pregnant Filipino women who were sentenced to four years in jail in Cambodia for illegally acting as surrogate mothers were in “good condition,” an ambassador said Wednesday.

“Ang 13 buntis ay nasa mabuting kalagayan po, patuloy namin silang inaasikaso, ang kanilang kapakanan, maging legal man o pangkalusugan,” Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Camille Mayo said.

“Matapos nga po ang paglilitis, sila ay naibalik na sa medical facility where they are staying. Nabibisita pa rin po namin sila at nahahatiran ng kanilang mga pangangailangan,” she told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

The 13 were among 24 foreign women detained by Cambodian police in Kandal province in September and charged with attempted cross-border human trafficking, according to a statement from the Kandal court.

Following a trial, the court on Monday sentenced the 13 to "four years in prison", although two years of the sentence would be suspended, the statement said.

The court said it had strong evidence showing that the 13 "have the intention... to have babies to sell to a third person in exchange for money, which is an act of human trafficking".

The court statement did not give details on what would happen to the babies of the 13 when they were born.

The 13 Filipinas said they were recruited online did not meet the biological parents of the babies, according to Mayo. 

“Kami ay nakatutok sa kasong ito,” the ambassador said. 

“Ayon sa Cambodia government, first time na foreigners. Meron na dating nangyari na mga Cambodian at sila ay kinasuhan din,” she said. 

In 2016, Cambodia issued a snap ban on commercial surrogacy after neighboring Thailand pulled the plug on the trade the previous year -- putting an abrupt end to a thriving industry for hopeful parents, many from Australia and the United States.

But demand for commercial surrogacy remains high after China eased its one-child policy and agencies in Cambodia continue to offer the service.

Sources in the kingdom have previously told AFP that couples -- mostly from China -- are willing to pay between $40,000 to $100,000 to surrogacy agents to find a Cambodian woman who can carry their child.

In 2018, an Australian nurse who ran a surrogacy clinic was jailed for 18 months in Cambodia.

Dozens of Cambodian women paid to carry babies for Chinese clients were also arrested in recent years but they were released on bail after agreeing to keep the children.