MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday warned Filipinos of a new human trafficking scheme that targets Filipinas to bring them to Cambodia to become surrogate mothers.

The Philippine Embassy in Cambodia earlier confirmed the rescue of 20 Filipina victims of the scheme by the Cambodian National Police in Kandal Province last September 23. Of the 20 women, 13 are in various stages of pregnancy and are now sheltered in a local hospital, the embassy said.

READ: 20 Filipino women rescued from surrogacy scheme in Cambodia -- embassy

Based on preliminary interviews, the women were recruited online. The women said that the recruiter, whose identity and nationality have yet to be determined, “arranged for the women to travel to another Southeast Asian country but eventually sent them to Cambodia, where surrogacy is banned.”

“We believe most knew what they were getting into. But imposible na wala d'yang 1 or 2 na akala ay iba ang gagawin,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said in a televised briefing.

“Kasi usually ang sinasabi sa kanila, may trabaho sa Thailand, sa Cambodia, computer work, tourism work. 'Yun pala, pagdating nila iba ang ginagawa. Throughout the past year, marami na tayong nire-repatriate [from] Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, at ngayon lang kami nakarinig na surrogate yan, and it’s possible it’s happening in other countries too,” he added.

De Vega said an inter-agency task force is currently looking into this case and other human trafficking schemes happening in Southeast Asian countries.

“Ang problema, ang sinasabing agency. We might not even know the physical address of this agency kasi lahat sila via social media kinontact, via email, Facebook,” he said.

The official, meanwhile, issued a warning to Filipinos to be wary of online recruiters and go through the processes required by the Department of Migrant Workers before going abroad to work.

“All throughout Southeast Asia maraming nagtatraffic, mga scammers, ngayon surrogates. Please bago kayo pumunta sa kapitbahay na bansa para magtrabaho dadaan kayo sa DMW POEA. May process. Of course may hassle yan, magbabayad kayo, pero ang importante may proteksyon para sa inyo,” he said.