Philippines keeps Tier 1 status but convictions of alleged traffickers lacking
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines met the minimum standards in the elimination of trafficking to keep its Tier 1 ranking, according to the 2021 Trafficking in Persons report released by the US State Department.
“The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore the Philippines remained on Tier 1,” the report read.
This includes the prosecution of more alleged traffickers than in the previous period, increasing the number of prosecutors assigned to anti-trafficking task forces and the establishment of a specialized shelter and one-stop service center in Manila.
But the State Department noted that the Philippine government "did not convict any officials for complicity in trafficking crimes and did not vigorously investigate labor trafficking crimes that occurred within the Philippines or provide training to labor inspectors on the indicators of trafficking."
Fewer victims were also identified compared to the previous reporting period and "resources for law enforcement and specialized services for victims remained inadequate," it added.
Prosecution, OSEC
The report noted that the Philippine government maintained law enforcement efforts, and with the onset of the pandemic, directives from the Supreme Court allowed continued proceedings on trafficking cases—although challenges were noted on, at times, unavailability of equipment and stable internet connections, especially for victim-witnesses.
The government conducted 248 anti-trafficking coordinated operations in 2020 and investigated 233 cases of alleged illegal recruitment, fewer than the 482 probes in 2019. The report also noted an increase in the prosecution of traffickers to 377 against 266 in the previous year.
The Department of Justice oversaw the training of 24 interagency anti-trafficking task forces and approved a 59% increase in the number of prosecutors to these panels.
Advances in ineffectiveness of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) investigation, reduction of interviews of victims in the course of the investigation and in the resolution of cases were also noted.
But the report pointed out that despite these, the government still saw the need to increase anti-trafficking law personnel, funds for operations and equipment for forensic analysis.
From March to May 2020, the start of the lockdown last year, the DOJ Office of Cybercrime recorded a 264 percent increase in online tips related to child sexual exploitation compared with the same time period in 2019.
“Slow moving courts, the need for additional training on handling digital evidence in hearings and trials, and too few prosecutors also hindered the effective and timely prosecution of trafficking crimes,” it said.
“[Non-governmental organizations] reported police did not take sufficient steps to investigate and arrest purchasers of commercial sex, including foreign sex tourists and those who purchased commercial sex acts from trafficking victims, and often did not question customers who were present during operations in entertainment establishments,” it added.
The report also noted that reports on immigration and police officers and other government officials complicit in trafficking continued. It cited the trafficking of 44 Filipinas in Syria, with 28 immigration officials put under investigation for supposedly having a hand in the crime.
READ: Immigration says fact-finding probe looking into trafficking of Filipino women to Syria
Recommendations
Following these observations, the US State Department listed recommendations for the Philippine government. These are:
- Increase efforts to investigate, prosecute and convict complicit officials and labor traffickers
- Strengthen local government units to provide reintegration services and increase support to government and NGOs to provide care for survivors
- Increase resources for anti-trafficking task forces and law enforcement units, and boost efforts to identify and assist victims
- Create a central database for information on illegal recruiters and human trafficking cases to facilitate interagency coordination in detecting, investigating and prosecuting traffickers
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