Photo Release

'PH, not a nation of scammers': Sen. Risa Hontiveros bares a reported plot by a Chinese syndicate to recruit Filipinos in a large-scale human trafficking scheme and investment fraud. In a privilege speech Monday, November 21, 2022, Hontiveros showed a testimony of one of the 12 recently-rescued overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who were tricked into applying for high-paying jobs in Thailand, only to be trafficked in Myanmar as "scammers" targeting various countries. The OFWs, she said, were not paid or fed, and even threatened, if they failed their tasks. The Deputy Minority Leader also detailed in her speech how the alleged mafia operates and cons victims through cryptocurrency. Citing statements from the OFW, Hontiveros said the syndicate plans to gather an "all-Filipino team" of scammers due to their proficiency in the English language. "This is of extreme importance and urgency. This Chinese mafias are making the Philippines an incubator of scammers," she warned. "We are not and will never be known as a nation of scammers," Hontiveros pointed out. She called on concerned government agencies to act on the matter. Meanwhile, she thanked the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as the 12 OFWs, for their bravery and cooperation that led to the successful rescue operations. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)