UN expert: Human smuggling in PHL still an alarming problem

A United Nations expert on trafficking on Friday said human smuggling in the Philippines has remained alarming and called on the government of President Aquino to do more to address the long-standing problem.

 

Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, said the Philippines “is undoubtedly a source country for human trafficking with its citizens being trafficked in different parts of the world.”

 

Ezeilo blamed poverty, youth unemployment, gender inequality, conflict, disasters and the prevailing cultural social frameworks for the unabated trafficking of persons, mostly women, in the country.

 

Common forms of trafficking in Filipino men, women and children are sexual tourism, cybersex and pornographic purposes, forced and bonded labor, domestic servitude, forced marriages as we well as organ transplantation.

 

“It’s very clear that the Philippines is a source country and the problem has not declined,” Ezeilo told a press conference.

 

Ezeilo concluded on Friday her five-day mission to the Philippines that brought her to trafficking hotpots like Manila, Cebu and Zamboanga. Her visit was aimed at examining the situation of trafficked persons and the impact of trafficking measures in the country.

 

The Philippines had been criticized for its failure to effectively deal with human trafficking, prompting the United States to put the country on a Tier 2 list of countries that have yet to fully meet international anti-trafficking standards.

 

In recent years under Aquino, the government has taken drastic measures that allowed Manila to escape stiff sanctions from Washington, such as withholding of millions of dollars worth of aid and ending up in a severe blacklist of countries that do not comply with international trafficking laws.

 

Despite pressing challenges in Manila’s anti-trafficking efforts, Ezeilo said “the government of the Philippines has demonstrated strong commitment to combating this scourge.”

 

She cited the country’s accession to several international accords and ratification of agreeemnts to fight trafficking.

 

Ezeilo also finds “commendable” the country’s “significant progress” to address trafficking in persons through the enactment and an Anti-Trafficking Act and the crafting of strong law enforcement policies.    

 

However, Ezeilo lamented the low rate of convictions of human traffickers and slow-paced court trials.

 

She also complained of the lack of accurate data on victims and the low level of awareness, knowledge and skills among government authorities to identify cases of trafficking in persons.

 

Although the government and its civil society partners are strengthening the capacity of government officials, particularly law enforcers, on how to handle cases of trafficking, Ezeilo said the large turnover rate of officers hampers the prevention and prosecution of such cases.

 

Sexual exploitation of children is still rampant as well as the abuse of human rights of Filipino workers abroad, she added.

 

“The impunity with which human trafficking is carried out in the country and horrendous abuses meted out to victims are indeed alarming,” Ezeilo said.

 

To effectively address the problem, one of Ezeilo’s recommendations is for the government to establish a specialized court to fast-rrack the trial of trafficking cases.

 

She said the government should also scale up prevention initiatives that would address the root causes of tracking, including demand of sexual services and cheap labor. Employment, education and training opportunities for livelihood must be created.

 

Ezeilo also called on the Department of Tourism to monitor compliance by hotels, travel agencies and other tourist operators of the agreements against sexual tourism.

 

The government, she noted, should also strengthen its border control using new technologies to impede trafficking.

 

“I urge the government to continue to show leadership and mobilize adequate resources to combat trafficking in persons, protect and assist victims, while increasing opportunities for legal, gainful and non-exploitative labor migration,” Ezeilo said.  - Michaela del Callar, VVP, GMA News