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Philippines Strengthens Capacity to Combat Human Trafficking

A new super body under the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) will help monitor, entrap, apprehend, investigate and prosecute persons involved in human trafficking or the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people for exploitation.

Such body, the Task Force against Human Trafficking (TFHT) which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo created this month through Executive Order (EO) 548-A, will also recommend to the Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking (IACAT) policies, programs and services that can enhance government's efforts in addressing the problem.

EO 548-A amends EO 548 which created the Task force Against Illegal Recruitment under CFO. In bolstering government's anti-human trafficking drive, President Arroyo ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Foreign Affairs, Manila International Airport Authority, Office of the State Prosecutor, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Bureau of Immigration and other government agencies concerned to coordinate and cooperate with TFHT.

"To efficiently address increasing reports and cases of human trafficking, it's necessary to enhance coordination between and among agencies engaged in the human trafficking drive," she said. This, after authorities cited the Philippines as a source, transit and destination country for men, women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor.

To help further boost government's drive against such activity, President Arroyo also ordered TFHT to provide legal, psychosocial and other forms of assistance to victims of this scourge. The task force will establish a databank on human trafficking by consolidating existing information on such activity and conduct a community-based information drive to increase public awareness about such problem.

"TFHT will also perform other acts as may be necessary for effective discharge of its functions and responsibilities," the President added. CFO will head TFHT and will determine number of task force members who will be detailed from NBI, PNP and other relevant public agencies.

President Arroyo ordered the Department of Budget and Management to identify funds available for budget of the task force which will operate for three years. In its report, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) said majority of Filipino trafficking victims are females aged 18 to 27 years and come from the National Capital Region, Region 3 and Region 4.

Citing information from experts, the agency said, Filipinos are frequently trafficked and smuggled to Korea, Japan, Hongkong, Singapore, the Middle East, Malaysia, Brunei, Italy, the United States, Taiwan, Jordan and Europe. NAPOLCOM also identified recruitment for job placement abroad as the most common scheme to traffick Filipinos. Following TFHT's creation, President Arroyo ordered POEA to intensify its anti-illegal recruitment campaign.

She added IACAT, which was established through Republic Act (RA) 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, will remain as lead implementor of this law. RA 9208 penalizes with life imprisonment and a maximum fine of PhP5 million persons guilty of qualified trafficking as specified under Section 6.

Adapted from: "New super body to boost drive vs. human trafficking." bayanihan.org. 26 Feburary 2007.