176 Filipino trafficking victims in Myanmar to be repatriated

MANILA, Philippines — One hundred seventy-six Filipino trafficking victims in Myanmar are set to return to the Philippines on Tuesday night. This was confirmed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega. Earlier that day, 30 victims were already repatriated. They arrived early in the morning. De Vega explained that these individuals are the first group being brought back home. The second group of 176 victims will arrive later in the evening on a chartered flight. They were found working in scam factories in Myanmar, where they were forced into labor. De Vega mentioned that the victims would first cross into Thailand from Myanmar before their flight back to the Philippines. The Philippine Embassy in Bangkok will help arrange their return either through direct flights or by transporting them to Bangkok.