A senator on Monday called on the Cambodian government to cooperate with the Philippines' efforts to end scam centers that lure Filipinos.
In a statement, Senator Rafael T. Tulfo said he had met with Cambodia's First Vice President Auch Borith and Cambodia's National Assemblyman Ty Sokun to discuss possible cooperation.
“These victims are lured by misleading social media posts offering high salaries, but upon arrival, they are either paid less or, in some cases, even tortured,” he said during a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Tulfo also called on Cambodian authorities to investigate their own immigration officials to ensure that no local personnel are assisting human traffickers.
He also urged Cambodia to expedite the repatriation of Filipinos rescued from scam centers.
He told officials, “If you can help us speed up repatriation, because that's the problem we have right now. After Filipino workers are rescued, it takes time for them to repatriate. Maybe we can reduce it from a month to two to three days.”
Mr. Borith said his county is willing to work with the Philippines to resolve the issue.
He also said that the masterminds of the scam bases are foreigners who can easily enter Cambodia due to lack of visas. – Adrian H. Halili
