Lawmakers want House probe on rising human trafficking incidents in RP

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers on Wednesday pushed a congressional investigation into the "alarming" resurgence of human trafficking incidents in the country, amid reports that the Philippines belongs to the top five countries where most incidents of human trafficking occur. CIBAC Party-list Reps. Emmanuel Joel Villanueva and Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales filed House Resolution No. 779 which aims to intensify the fight against human trafficking on all levels, from legislation, policy formulation, enforcement and prosecution, to rehabilitation and support for victims. "Human trafficking is fast becoming a major transnational crime next only to the illegal drugs trade and illegal arms trade," Villanueva said in an article on the House of Representatives website. Citing figures from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Villanueva said there are more than 400,000 persons from both government and non-government organizations who are victims of trafficking and almost 100,000 of these victims are children. "Most of the victims of trafficking are being exploited as commercial sex workers, forced laborers and even unwilling organ donors," Villanueva said. For her part, Cruz-Gonzales expressed concern that only a miniscule number of cases of human trafficking are reported. "In fact, as of last year, only a little over a thousand cases were officially reported," she said. Also, Villanueva noted that there is a great need to identify the gaps in the existing anti-human trafficking laws for the formulation of remedial legislation. "We must consider the reports of the victims that lack of funds and resources are key problems in the full implementation of the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act, including the necessary support and protection," he said. - GMANews.TV