US earmarks $500K in RP drive vs human trafficking

The Department of Justice and the United States Embassy on Thursday signed an agreement for a three-year project helping the Philippines combat human trafficking. The US government will fund the $500,000 (roughly P22.6-million) project, where an American federal prosecutor will be sent to the country to train Philippine prosecutors handling human trafficking cases. The project also entails a protection program for victims and witnesses. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. signed the agreement at the DOJ Executive Lounge in Manila. "Together, we will end their (human trafficking victims') living hell. Sama-sama nating lalabanan ang trafficking at magtatagumpay tayo (Together we will fight trafficking and we will win)," said Thomas, eliciting applause from the audience when he spoke in Filipino. For her part, De Lima welcomed the US government's initiative, which she said "marked another chapter in the continuing partnership between the Philippines and the US in their fight against trafficking persons." Human trafficking condition in the RP Of the hundreds of human trafficking cases DOJ prosecutors filed before the courts since the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act was enacted in 2003, only 23 cases led to convictions. De Lima noted that in 2009 alone, prosecutors filed 206 human trafficking cases in court. The US State Department's 2010 human trafficking report 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. If the Philippines does not improve the prosecution of such cases by February next year, it is at risk of losing some $250-million in aid from the US State Department. Training vs human trafficking On Thursday, US Embassy political officer Doreen Bailey said the three-year project will also involve the training of judges and other prosecutors. US federal prosecutor Shirely Philipps will be sent to the Philippines for five months to conduct the training and to make observations. "She (Philipps) will be hand in hand with the Philippine Department of Justice to review their protocols for prosecuting crimes of trafficking in persons, and improve the processing and expediency and efficacy and prosecution of these horrendous crimes," Bailey told reporters. — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV