Government vows to maintain efforts to curb human trafficking

by | Jun 22, 2012 | Headlines, National News

THE United States (US) State Department’s 12th Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report which kept the Philippines in the Tier 2 Category is a recognition of the Aquino administration’s multi-pronged and aggressive initiatives to curb human trafficking in the
country, a Palace official said on Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the statement following the release of the US State Department’s 12th Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report which underscored several key achievements of the Philippine government in its drive to eliminate human trafficking.

“We will continue to improve our efforts and we would like to be taken out from Tier 2,” Lacierda said.

He said the government is currently tightening the noose against illegal traffickers and recruiter who prey on our hapless countrymen.

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (IACAT) formulated programs to ensure that human trafficking across the country is put to a stop.

Other gains cited in the 12th Annual Trafficking in Persons Report include the apprehension and filing of criminal and administrative charges against government personnel suspected of conniving with human trafficking syndicates or aiding their operations.

The TIP report also highlighted the continuing accomplishment of the government in the prosecution and conviction of trafficking offenders as well as in helping victims.

The US State Department also lauded the importance placed by the Philippine government in training public officials, particularly in establishing human trafficking indicators, with reference to Filipino migrant workers’ pre-deployment overseas.

The report also cited the cross-border efforts of the government to secure the interests and rights of overseas workers through bilateral agreements, particularly labor-related accessions with foreign countries.

A total of US$ 1.5 million or about P65 million was appropriated by the Philippine government to support its operations against human trafficking, prosecution of offenders, and for the protection of the public from this global menace, according to the report.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Tier 2 status officially recognizes a country’s significant efforts to adhere to the benchmarks prescribed by the US State Department to meet the minimum standards.

Tier 1 countries fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) minimum standards while Tier 2 countries do not fully comply, but are making significant efforts.
(PCOO)

US removes PH from human trafficking watch list

by | Jun 28, 2011 | Headlines, National News

The United States government has removed the Philippines in its “Tier 2 Watchlist on Monday (Tuesday morning in Manila) for having several convictions of human traffickers in the past year.  According to the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report of the US State Department, although thePhilippines “still does not fully comply with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking, Manila is making significant efforts to do so.”  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton released the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report onMonday in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the Department of State.

In last year’s US trafficking report, the Philippines was one of the 58 countries under the “Tier 2 Watch List,” which included Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Mozambique, Algeria, Lebanon,Yemen, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Kazahkstan, Niger,Tunisia, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, China, and Russia, among others.

Those under the “Tier 2 Watch List” are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards but are making significant efforts to comply with those standards.

On the other hand, those under the Tier 2 category are “countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.”

Human trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for forced labor or commercial sexualexploitation.