MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched verification and coordination efforts with foreign law enforcement agencies following reports that hundreds of Filipinos are allegedly trapped and held against their will in Myanmar-based scam hubs.
PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. stated that reports indicating between 900 and 1,500 Filipino workers are trapped in transnational fraud operations demand urgent attention and a swift response.
“Our responsibility to protect our kababayans does not end at our borders. We will pursue every available channel of coordination with foreign authorities to locate our fellow Filipinos, secure their rescue, and hold those responsible for their exploitation accountable,” said Nartatez.
The reports initially emerged from a former official of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), who estimated that up to 1,500 Filipinos remain stuck in illicit operations.
Efforts are also underway through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to locate victims lured into online scam syndicates. Meanwhile, the DMW previously confirmed that 51 Filipinos are detained in Cambodia following raids on similar online scam operations.
Nartatez emphasized that the PNP is actively collaborating with international counterparts to verify the reports and facilitate rescues, while simultaneously pursuing domestic operations against illegal recruitment rings operating within the Philippines.