Pregnant Philippine women arrested in Cambodia for surrogacy could be prosecuted after giving birth

Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A senior government official in Cambodia says that 13 pregnant Philippine women accused of illegally acting as surrogate mothers in Cambodia after being recruited online may face prison terms after they give birth. Interior Ministry Secretary of State Chou Bun Eng leads the country’s fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. She said on Saturday that police found the women in a raid on a villa near the capital of Phnom Penh. A ban on commercial surrogacy was enacted in 2016 after Cambodia became a popular destination for foreigners seeking women to give birth to their children.