Philippines reaffirms commitment in protecting human rights as it keeps Tier 1 rating

The Philippines has welcomed the US State Department’s report that kept the country’s highest rating in terms of battling human trafficking — a status it has maintained since 2016. 

The country kept its Tier 1 ranking for the seventh straight year in the US State Department's 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report.

The US State Department said countries under Tier 1 indicate that "a government has made efforts to address the problem" that meet the "minimum standards" of the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that "the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, and its Tier 1 ranking acknowledges its relentless and comprehensive efforts to prevent trafficking in persons, protect victims, and prosecute the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”

“The 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report is an acknowledgment of the whole-of-government approach by the DFA and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) in their pursuit to proactively prevent trafficking in persons,” it said.

While the government meets the minimum standards, the US State Department noted the Philippines "did not report vigorously investigating labor trafficking crimes" inside the country or did not "take adequate steps to investigate and arrest individuals suspected of purchasing commercial sex from trafficking victims, nor did it provide training for labor inspectors on indicators of human trafficking.”

"The government prosecuted and convicted fewer traffickers, and it did not report holding accountable officials allegedly complicit in human trafficking crimes," the US State Department said.

The DFA said the Philippine government will continue to work with the civil society and the international community to enhance and improve policies, legislation, and mechanisms to further reduce and eliminate the crime of trafficking in persons.

Along with the Philippines, Tier 1 nations included, among others, Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the US.

In a statement, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the co-chair of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), lauded the country's Tier 1 ranking.

“Tier 1 ranking means that the Philippines has fully met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and that it has demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts during the reporting period despite challenges encountered at the height of the pandemic. Indeed, this recognition will not be possible without the unwavering effort, support, and innovation of the members of the IACAT,” DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo said in a statement.

The DSWD's Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP) contributes to the fight against human trafficking, providing adequate and appropriate recovery and reintegration services to those who have been victims of human trafficking.

According to the DSWD, the RRPTP in 2021 has served and assisted 1,832 victim-survivors of human trafficking in coordination with DSWD Field Offices, non-government organizations, and other partners. —Ted Cordero/KG/LBG, GMA News