78 Pinoys trafficked in Myanmar released

MANILA, Philippines —  Myanmar has released 78 Filipinos who had been detained for immigration-related offenses, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Saturday, saying that the individuals were victims of human trafficking linked to scam operations.

The DFA said the Filipinos had been serving sentences for illegal entry and residency.

“The Department expresses its appreciation to Myanmar authorities for this compassionate and humanitarian gesture, made during the Myanmar New Year (Thingyan), which reflects the goodwill between Myanmar and the Philippines,” the DFA said in a statement.

The DFA said the Philippine embassy in Yangon is currently facilitating the “prompt, safe and orderly repatriation of the 78 Filipinos to the Philippines, in coordination with Myanmar authorities.”

“The Department reaffirms its foreign policy pillar of protecting Filipino nationals overseas, in collaboration with the Department of Migrant Workers, and will continue to work with relevant law enforcement agencies toward the prosecution of illegal recruiters of Filipinos trafficked for illegal jobs abroad,” the DFA added.

For its part, the Department of Migrant Workers said the government is intensifying efforts against human trafficking and scam operations targeting overseas Filipino workers through a whole-of-government approach focused on victim protection, rescue operations and prosecution of traffickers.