A look into human trafficking in the Philippines

Human trafficking, the illegal trade in human beings for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation, remains a problem in the Philippines. A report of the United States (US) State Department has placed the Philippines under the "Tier 2 Watch List" category in the Trafficking in Persons. The Philippines is one of the 58 countries under the “Tier 2 Watch List," according to the Washington DC-based US Department of State. 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. The Philippines is on par with 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. According to the US State Department, 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, especially forced prostitution and labor." In a statement on Thursday, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) said the government's 1343 hotline has received over 750 calls from victims of human trafficking (also called as a modern-day form of slavery) and their families. Anti-trafficking in Persons Act In 2003, the government enacted a law -- the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act -- to go after the traffickers and help their victims. Since its enactment until 2009, a total of 938 trafficking cases were filed, according to the Philippine Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. At least 42 convictions have already been rendered by courts as of February 2011, the council noted. There are three categories of trafficking acts punishable under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act:

for qualified trafficking: penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of P2 million to P5 million. The law said trafficking cases may be filed in places where the offense or any of its elements was committed. The unlawful activity’s elements include “acts, means, purpose, and venue." Who can file cases

Human trafficking figures worldwide

Some 12.3 million people are involved in forced and bonded labor, child labor, and sexual servitude. Majority or 56 percent of the victims come from Asia and the Pacific. People are trafficked from 127 countries and are exploited in 137 countries. Human trafficking is a $31.6-billion industry. Half of the trafficked victims are aged 18 to 24 years old. Some 1.2 million children are trafficked every year. More than 300,000 children under 18 are currently exploited in more than 30 armed conflicts nationwide. Majority of child soldiers are between the ages of 15 and 18, but there are some as young as 7 or 8 years old. (Source: Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking)

According to the law, those who can file the case may be the trafficked person, the parents, spouse, siblings, children, or legal guardian of the trafficked person, or anyone who has personal knowledge of the commission of any offense under the law. The law also mandates to provide a Witness Protection Program for the trafficked victims. Tier Placements Meanwhile, according to the US State Department's website cites the following categories: Tier 1 "Countries whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards" Tier 2 "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" Tier 2 Watch List "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 AND: a) The absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing; or b) There is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year; or c) The determination that a country is making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take additional future steps over the next year" Tier 3 "Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so" - Jesse Edep, Bea Cupin, VVP, GMA News