DFA, DOJ to form anti-trafficking desks in municipalities, barangays 

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Justice’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT) will soon establish help desks in local municipalities and barangays to address concerns on human trafficking. 

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Robert Ferrer Jr. warned interested job applicants abroad to be careful with the job postings online amid incidents of trafficking overseas. 

“Hindi po ng lahat ng nasa internet ay totoo. Hindi lahat ng nasa internet ay tama,” he said in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon. 

(Not everything you see on the internet is true. Not everything online is correct.) 

“I-check niyo po palagi yung nagre-recruit sa inyo. Nandiyan naman po ang DMW, may regional offices po sila. Nandoon naman ang DOLE, may regional offices po ang DOLE. Nandiyan po ang Office of the Mayor ninyo. And the IACAT, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking chaired by DOJ, si Usec. Nicky Ty ang chair niyan, we have a project together wherein we will establish municipal and barangay anti-trafficking desks,” Ferrer added. 

(Always check those who are recruiting you. You can refer to the DMW and DOLE, because they have regional offices. You can also check with your Office of the Mayor. And the IACAT, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking chaired by DOJ’s Usec. Nicky Ty, we have a project together wherein we will establish municipal and barangay anti-trafficking desks.) 

But the DFA official did not mention any specific timeline for the said collaboration with the DOJ-IACAT. 

Ferrer made the statement following the repatriation of 10 more Filipinos from Cambodia who were made to work for online scams. 

“May isang na-identify na nagkaroon ng medical issue. Hopefully, okay na. Doon pa lang sa Cambodia, tiningnan na siya. Siyempre may care package ‘yan, may pagkain,” he said. “Sa documentation naman, kung wala sa kanila yung kanilang pasaporte, binibigyan namin agad ng travel document para makabiyahe sila pauwi ng Pilipinas.” 

(One of them has a medical issue and hopefully that person is already okay. Because that person was already checked in Cambodia. Of course, we will provide care packages and food. When it comes to documentation, if they don’t have their passports with them, we immediately issue travel documents so they can return to the Philippines.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News