Philippines remains on US human trafficking watch list

(Update 6:17 p.m.) The Philippines remains on the US government’s human trafficking watch list due to its “inefficient judicial system" and “endemic corruption" in government. In its 2010 human trafficking report released Monday (Tuesday in Manila), the US State Department retained the Philippines’ “Tier 2 watch list" rank, indicating that the country “does not fully comply with, but is making significant efforts to meet" the agency’s standards. “The Philippines is a source country, and to a much lesser extent, a destination and transit country for men, women, and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor," the report said. The report cited an inefficient judicial system and corruption in government — especially in agencies tasked to solve the human trafficking problem — as reasons for the Philippines’ ranking. “Widespread corruption and an inefficient judicial system continue to severely limit the prosecution of trafficking cases. The vast majority of initiated trafficking prosecutions are usually unsuccessful, largely due to lack of evidence after victims disappear or withdraw cooperation," the report said. Slow-moving cases The Philippines, which has been in the US’ human trafficking watch list since 2001, lacks “a method to fast-track trafficking cases" in its courts, the report said. It noted that Philippine courts currently have over 380 pending or ongoing trafficking cases, and that despite legal provisions designed to ensure a timely judicial process, “trafficking cases in the Philippines take an average of three to four years to conclude." As a recommendation, the US State Department said the Philippines, one of its closest allies in Southeast Asia, should demonstrate “greater progress" on investigating, prosecuting, and convicting both labor and sex trafficking offenders. It said this could be done by devoting increased resources to curb the problem. No excuses Lawyer Severino Gana Jr., chairman of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Task Force on Trafficking in Persons, admitted that “there is some truth" to the US State Department report. “We have no excuses. Some of these statements are true. We just have to try harder," Gana said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV on Tuesday. Gana said he and other members of the task force have already met to discuss the report and to come up with ways to adopt the US State Department’s recommendations. He likewise said that he has also asked court administrator Midas Marquez to issue a circular to all courts to prioritize trafficking cases. “What the US State Department really wants is increased number of convictions. We have already assigned a staff to monitor on human trafficking cases full time, and we really want courts to fast-track these cases," he said. Gana likewise appealed to the incoming administration of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III and all newly-elected legislators “to give attention" to institutions tasked to solve the human trafficking problem. “The incoming presidency will really inherit this problem, so we appeal to President Aquino and to the new legislators to give us some funds to ensure enactment of all our programs," he said in Filipino. Formed in 2005, the DOJ Task Force on Trafficking in Persons is tasked to monitor human trafficking court cases and formulate policies that will implement Republic Act 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. Singapore, Thailand make it to the list While the Philippines retained its previous ranking in the human trafficking report, seven other Asian countries made it to the list for the first time this year. Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as Afghanistan, Brunei, Laos and Maldives, were included in the human trafficking watch list for the first time after these countries reportedly failed to prevent its women from being forced into prostitution in other foreign nations. Like the Philippines, all seven Asian countries were given the “Tier 2 watch list" rank. The report likewise estimated that 12.3 million people became victims of human trafficking from 2009 to 2010, although it also noted that there has been progress in solving the problem over the past decade. Eleven countries — Burma, Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Dominican Republic, Iran, North Korea, Mauritania Zimbabwe, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia — were given the lowest ranking by the US State Department in its report for “not making efforts" to address the human trafficking problem. - KBK, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV