MANILA — A total of 176 Filipinos who allegedly fell prey to human trafficking and were forced to work at a scam hub in Myanmar returned to the Philippines on Wednesday.

The Filipinos were rescued by the Royal Thai Police after they escaped from the alleged scam hub. They landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay on board a chartered plane.

One of them is 26-year-old “Ana”, who said she was lured to work in Myanmar by a woman she met online. A month after she started working, Ana and her partner asked their employer if they could go home after finding out that she was pregnant. 

But instead, she said they were gagged, blindfolded, tortured, and kept in a room for 5 days.

“We found out after 2 weeks na pregnant wife ko, nagmakaawa kami dahil hindi naman yun ang usapan. Nilagay kami sa room for 5 days, walang water walang food,” Ana’s partner told ABS-CBN News. 

"Noong nakita ko wife ko kinakaladkad ng walong lalaki habang buntis po siya binubugbog po. Nagmamakaawa siya wag kami saktan." 

They said their Chinese employer asked to pay P1 million in exchange for their release.

"Ayaw po nila kaming pauwiin ng Pilipinas, gusto nila magbayad kami ng tig kalahating milyon, bale isang milyon kaming dalawa," Ana said.

She said 8 men took turns beating her and her partner for 5 days.

"Ninakaw po nila cellphone namin, para di kami makapagsumbong sa pamilya saka dito sa Pilipinas," she added.

7 immigration personnel relieved from post over alleged trafficking links

They escaped with other victims when the Thai government cut the power lines on the boundary of Myanmar where the hub is located.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Arnel Ignacio led the team that fetched the victims from Thailand.

“This is the biggest group being repatriated. Hindi ito basta basta pwede tumawid dahil limited ang na-process ng Thailand. Kaya rin nangyari ito pinutulan ng Thai government ng kuryente sa boundary ng Myanmar," De Vega said.

Department of Migrant Worker chief Hans Leo Cacdac said some human trafficking victims appeared afraid to reveal information about their recruiters in the Philippines.

“We really need to assist in apprehending the ‘Philippine element’ in the crime. Whether it is somebody hiding in the computer or  somebody who aided them to go there,“ Cacdac said.

The DFA said that there were still Filipino victims being abused in scam hubs.

Myanmar scam center survivors recall torture and coercion