MANILA (AFP): Cambodia has pardoned and sent home 13 Philippine women who were jailed over a scheme to become surrogate mothers, an outlawed practice, the Philippine government said on Sunday.
They were among 24 foreign women detained by Cambodian police in September and convicted and sentenced to four years in prison on December 2 for attempted cross-border human trafficking.
The women "and three of their babies" were sent home to Manila early Sunday and taken to a government shelter for trafficking victims, the Social Welfare Department said in a statement.
Ten of the repatriated women are still pregnant, Irene Dumlao, the Social Welfare Department's Assistant Secretary told AFP.
"All 13 (women) departed Phnom Penh and arrived safely in Manila following the grant of royal pardon by His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni," the Philippine foreign ministry said in a separate statement.
The Cambodian court ruling had said it had strong evidence showing that the 13 had "the intention... to have babies to sell to a third person in exchange for money, which is an act of human trafficking".
The court did not give details on what would happen to the babies.
The Philippine foreign department statement warned "surrogacy is banned in Cambodia and any violation thereof is punishable under Cambodian laws".
The social welfare ministry statement said "there is no law prohibiting or allowing surrogacy in the Philippines, providing a legal grey area prone to abuse".
In 2016, Cambodia issued a snap ban on commercial surrogacy after neighbouring 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. - AFP
