Anti-human trafficking bill filed

AIMED at putting a stop to human trafficking, a lawmaker filed a measure seeking the imposition of stiffer penalties for those involved in the activity.

Representative Susan Yap (second district, Tarlac) filed House Bill 1705 in line with recent reports that the US State Department included the country in its watchlist of nations whose governments have failed to improve efforts against human trafficking

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Specifically, Yap seeks to increase jail time from 20 to 25 years in cases where a government employee would be committing the act such as recruitment, transport, harboring, or sale of persons, within or across national borders, for the purpose slavery-like practices or organ removal and sale.

Stiffer penalties are also proposed for officials who shall commit acts that promote trafficking like assistance in the conduct of misrepresentation or fraud in acquiring clearances and necessary exit documents from government agencies.

“Because of the proposed stiffer penalties, the concerned public officials and employees would be wary and enjoin themselves from being actively involved and complicit in human trafficking,” said Yap.

Based on the data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), some 2,298 cases of human trafficking were reported from 2003 to the first quarter of 2010.

According to Yap, aside from the Bureau of Immigration and police officers, other officers who may be susceptible to collusion with syndicates are airline personnel, coast guards, officers of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Philippines Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

“It is unfortunate that some of our government officials and employees who should be protecting the rights of those who have less in life become agents of lawless elements for the curtailment of those rights,” the lawmaker said. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)