RP in danger of losing $250-M US aid vs trafficking

The Philippines has to settle more human trafficking cases by February 2011 or the United States (US) could pull out some $250 million in aid to the country’s fight against the illegal trade of human beings. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Tuesday the US State Department might downgrade the Philippines' rank from "Tier 2 watch list" to "Tier 3" if the pending cases against suspected human traffickers do not lead to convictions. "We are losing the battle because we're dealing with syndicates. That is why it’s important to put in the right people... Some $250 million is the amount that is in danger of being withheld from us," said De Lima. De Lima said she directed her department to seek a bigger budget for the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which reportedly received zero budget over the years. "Alam naman nila na priority ang IACAT (They know that the IACAT is a priority), which needs to be adequately funded if we are to show the satisfactory improvements," she said, adding that the council needs at least P10 million. A US government report in June placed the Philippines under "Tier 2 watch list rank." Those on the “Tier 2 watch list" are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 but are working towards complying with those standards. In “Tier 2 watch list" countries, the number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or even increasing and governments have failed to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons. Countries in the Tier 1 category are those who have fully complied with the TVPA’s minimum standards. Those included in the Tier 2 category (a rank higher than the Tier 2 watch list category) are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to comply with those standards Those in the Tier 3 category are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so. 2010 human trafficking report In its 2010 human trafficking report, US State Department said the Philippines “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. “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 added. It noted that Philippine courts 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." Majority of the country's human trafficking victims were forced to work as domestic helpers mainly in Asia and throughout the Middle East, the report added. Records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show that over 70,000 Filipinos were deployed as household service workers abroad, making it the top overseas occupation last year. Around 69,000 of these workers are women. — VVP, GMANews.TV