Hundreds of Filipinos still trapped in Myanmar scam hubs, says ex-PAOCC exec

Around 900 to 1,500 Filipino workers are still trapped in scam hubs in Myanmar, according to former Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Director Winston Casio.

In a “24 Oras Weekend” report by Dano Tingcungco on Sunday, Casio said the information came from a civil society group based in Bangkok, Thailand.

The group reportedly noted that most Filipinos trapped in scam compounds are located at the border of the northern part of Bangkok.

“Merong nakauwi, 335 na mga Filipino ‘yon but we knew, we knew na tip of the iceberg kasi sabi ng mga contact natin doon sa Myawaddy, nagtago sa mga gubat. Hindi naman naubos tapos ‘yung mga kababayan natin at gunpoint talaga silang kinuha,” Casio said.

(There were 335 Filipinos who managed to return home, but we knew it's just the tip of the iceberg because according to our contact in Myawaddy they are hiding in forests. There are still Filipinos trapped who were gunpoint recruited.)

In one of his Facebook posts, Casio shared a video of a victim's family member pleading for help to locate and rescue his brother in Myanmar.

“We are begging you to please find my brother who is victim there in Myanmar of the scam hubs. They were being abused, they were locked there, they cannot escape there,” the sibling said.

According to Casio, they are in the process of verifying the report with authorities from Myanmar and Thailand.

In Tingcungco's report, Casio shared a message he received from one of the trapped Filipinos.

One message read: “Paano po kaya ang gagawin para po ma-rescue kami, sir[?] Sobrang hirap na po mag-isip.”

Casio noted that coordination with groups in Thailand are underway, including cooperations with the Royal Thai Police and with the Philippines’ Migrant Workers Representative in Myanmar.

He also urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to create a dedicated task force to stop the recruitment of Filipinos to scam hubs abroad.

GMA News has sought the statement of the Malacañang, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers, Bureau of Immigration, and the group supposedly coordinating with Casio. Their comments will be published once available. — Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/BM, GMA News

Follow facebook.com/gmanewsonline for real-time news and developments in the Philippines and around the world.