Phnom Penh: Thirteen Filipino women have been sentenced to two years in prison in Cambodia after being found guilty of violating the country's surrogacy ban. Originally handed a four-year sentence, it was subsequently reduced due to mitigating circumstances, as confirmed by the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh. According to Philippines News Agency, the women had been detained since September 23 in a designated medical facility. Their trial took place between November 28 and 29, and on December 2, they were convicted by the Kandal Provincial Court for contravening Cambodia's 2008 Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. The law considers such a violation a felony with a maximum penalty ranging from 15 to 20 years. The embassy emphasized that the sentence reduction was achieved through the efforts of legal representatives appointed to ensure the best possible outcome within the framework of Cambodian law. The Philippine government has pledged ongoing legal and consular support to t he 13 women for the duration of their incarceration. Furthermore, both Philippine and Cambodian authorities have ensured that the women receive medical care and welfare assistance while awaiting the completion of the judicial process. The embassy reiterated the importance of international cooperation in combating human trafficking and warned Filipino citizens against engaging in commercial surrogacy in Cambodia, highlighting the risk of imprisonment. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had initially confirmed in October the rescue of 20 Filipino women, recruited online, who were allegedly taken to Cambodia to become surrogate mothers. While seven of these women have been repatriated, the remaining 13, all in various stages of pregnancy, stayed at a local hospital. The recruitment process was reportedly orchestrated by an individual using a false identity, who arranged for the women to travel to another Southeast Asian country before sending them to Cambodia, where surrogacy is prohibited.