Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed his gratitude to Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni for granting a royal pardon to 13 Filipino women convicted in a surrogacy case. The women had been sentenced to four years in prison in December 2023 for illegally acting as surrogate mothers in Cambodia.
The President thanked Cambodia during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Manila. The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen trade, agriculture, tourism, culture, and security ties between their nations.
The women were involved in a surrogacy scheme linked to human trafficking. Cambodian law, which was updated in 2016, bans commercial surrogacy, leading to their conviction. Instead of serving time in prison, they were allowed to return to the Philippines under a royal pardon.
Marcos called the king’s decision a “magnanimous act” and highlighted the strong ties between the two countries. He also pledged continued cooperation in fighting transnational crimes.
Cambodia has struggled with human trafficking issues, especially online scams that force foreigners into fraudulent activities. The country has also become a hotspot for illegal surrogacy.
After the meeting, several agreements were signed to boost trade, investment, tourism, and agriculture. One agreement focused on preventing the illegal trafficking of cultural artifacts.
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