Filipinos allegedly tortured in Myanmar love scam hub, rescued

Some Filipinos, who were rescued from an alleged love scam hub in a crypto farm in Myanmar, said they experienced torture and even electrocution.

In JP Soriano’s exclusive report on “24 Oras” on Monday, three Filipinas showed their bruised and wounded arms, which were allegedly inflicted by their Chinese employer in Myawaddy town.

“Hindi po ako makasigaw kasi naka Scotch tape po yung bibig ko nun tapos naka posas po ako dalawang kamay na naka sabit tas yung paa ko parang naka pa ekis po ako. Parang yung that time po naiisip ko po nun gusto ko na lang pong mamatay tas yun na rin ang sinesenyas ko sa lider na patayin nyo na lang po ako. Dumating din po yung time na yung ulo ko hinampas ko sa bed dahil gusto ko na lang po mamatay,” “Jenny” said.

(I could not shout since my mouth was taped shut while my hands were handcuffed and left hanging and my legs were also crossed over each other. During that time, I wanted to die and I even sent a  signal to the leader to kill me. One time, I hit my head on the bed because I wanted to die.)

Jenny and “A”, another Filipino victim, were recruited by their friend to work as call center agents in Laos last year.

However, when they arrived, they worked as love scammers, who made their victims fall in love with them and steal money through cryptocurrency investments.

During an arrest in Laos last September, their friend invited them to work in a crypto farm in Myanmar, where they met “Rose,” another Filipino victim.

Due to the grave abuse, the Filipino victims and more than 100 workers from Kenya, Uganda, Bangladesh, and Nepal gathered together and escaped from the building.

“Nag simula na po kami tumakbo, may mga guard po na nasalubong namin is pinag papalo po namin upang makalagpas po sa kanila hanggang sa makarating po kami sa may likod, sa may likod po na yun may sementong pataas. Lahat po kami ay umakyat po dun nag tulungan bawat isa pero yung iba po that time is nahuli na po,” Jenny said.

(We started to run and hit the guards that blocked our way but we repeatedly hit them and continuted running towards a wall. We helped each other climb the wall. However, some were captured.)

“Binalik po kami sa black room pinag papalo po kaming lahat. Parang naiisip namin parang ito na ata yung katapusan ah (They hit us after we brought back to the black room. We thought that was our end.),” Rose said.

“Wala na po akong doubt na meron pang chance na maligtas kami, yung isip ko na dito na ako mamamatay (I lost hope that we’ll be saved. I thought I'd die there),” said "A".

However, they did not know that a Kenyan wa able to escape and report their experiences to a journalist, which led the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, Myanmar’s special force, to rescue them.

“That night nag process po lahat, sinabi po sa amin na ibabalik na po kami sa country nun. Bale, nabunutan po kami ng tinik pero may doubt pa rin po kami at kinakabahan hangga’t andun pa kami sa site,” Jenny said.

(They processed it all that night and told us we could return to our country. We were relieved but we still had our doubts until we left the site.)

The three victims and nine other Filipinos who were rescued from the crypto farm were repatriated on February 19.

This included Jenny, "A," and A’s friend, who offered them work and was immediately arrested, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

“They were posing as distressed OFWs but were actually perpetrators of the crime. So, upon arrival, it was discovered that three of them actually had pending cases in different parts of the metropolis, but one of them was arrested right on the spot,” DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said.

Cacdac also said the rescued Filipinas will receive financial aid and undergo medical and psychosocial examinations and therapy and that the government will go after those who assisted the perpetrators. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News