Thursday, May 15, 2008 Anti-trafficking task force formed; report cases to cops, victims told
THE Cebu Provincial Women’s Commission has created a task force that will run after unscrupulous individuals who carry out white slavery or human-trafficking in the province.
Lawyer Joan Dymphna Saniel, executive director of the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) Inc., said the Provincial Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking, Pornography and Cybersex will be the implementing body of the women’s commission.
During a consultative meeting, 40 representatives from several government agencies, the academe, nongovernment organizations and religious sectors suggested measures in minimizing the proliferation of trafficking.
But Saniel said they didn’t have exact statistics yet on cases of white slavery in the province because victims do not report the crime to authorities.
Advocacy
The task force aims to identify trafficking priority areas to strengthen the Province’s advocacy against human trafficking, pornography and cyber sex.
Cebu is identified as a source, transit and destination for trafficked victims.
The key suggestion involved the prioritizing of areas that serve as trafficking focal points.
These include the Cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. Airports, sea ports as well as noted tourist destinations in the province will also be prioritized.
It was also suggested that there should be a collation of proper traffic database for the province.
Formulation
Other suggestions include zoning of bars, stricter monitoring of Internet cafés, formulation of call and text hotlines, as well as stricter law enforcement.
Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale, head of the commission, authored the resolution creating the task force, which was passed last December.
The task force’s functions include coordinating with concerned agencies; lobbying to all local governments to adopt an ordinance to prevent trafficking and ensuring data gathering on women of reproductive age for the baseline data.
It also formed a technical working group composed of the provincial prosecutor, Cebu Provincial Police Office, the Police Regional Office, the CLB, the Commission of Filipino Overseas and the Cebu Women’s Network. (GMD/Strawberry G. Yap STC Masscom Intern)
