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| PCG warns some surrogates in Georgia end up being raped or forced to undergo abortions |
The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has posted a warning to Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong against falling for offers to go Georgia to become surrogate mothers for a fee.
According to the PCG, a syndicate is targeting terminated
Filipino domestic workers to accept surrogacy jobs in Georgia, a country in
Eastern Europe and West Asia. Once she accepts the offer, the Filipina is sent
to Georgia as a tourist, passing through either Qatar or the United Arab
Emirates.
“Once in Georgia, they become victims of rape and
forced abortions,” said the PCG.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
In Hong Kong, the surrogacy scam was brought to the
attention of the PCG by Marites Palma, founder of Social Justice for Migrant
Workers, after a victim reached out to her.
The 36-year-old victim told Palma through messenger
that she was being held captive by an abuser in the Georgian capital, Tblisi,
and was being forced to abort the six-month baby in her womb.
The victim also said she was terminated in Hong Kong
in October 2024 and agreed to the surrogacy offer because it was tempting.
According to Palma, the offer was for US$11,800 for
nine months of carrying an implanted egg in her womb. They are assured of leaving
within days on tourist visas to Georgia, all arranged by the agent.
However, once they give birth in Georgia, they are
left to fend for themselves, including having to explain to authorities why they
had overstayed their visas.
After Palma alerted PCG officials, the victim was
rescued from her captor but is still there, waiting to give birth.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
Palma said that the recruiter, who was originally in
Hong Kong, had moved on to Georgia, apparently in a bid to prevent being
arrested.
Surrogacy is illegal in both the Philippines and
Hong Kong, as well as many other Asian countries like Cambodia, where Filipinas
who agreed to go there as surrogates recently were initially charged in court before
being deported to the Philippines, still pregnant.
Palma expressed concern that other Filipinas desperate for jobs and money could be lured to also move to Georgia and other countries to become surrogates despite the dangers because of the offer of big payments by the syndicates.
She shared a Facebook post from one named Georgia
Lee, apparently also a Filipina, who encouraged MDWs here to consider acting as
surrogates, which she said, would spare them of having to work hard for other
people at low pay.
“Dito sarili
na lang ninyo ang iintindihin nyo,di na po kayo gigising ng maaga para ipagluto
ng almusal ang mga amo, di na po kayo maglilinis everyday, as a surrogate
mother sarili lang ninyo ang aalagaan ninyo…”the post said.
But as the case of the Filipina victim who reached
out to Palma shows, the risks involved in agreeing to be a surrogate could be
huge, and long-lasting. Another likely consequence is that the woman could end
up penniless, and having to raise the child she only agreed to bear for someone
else.
