Business Mirror
Thursday, 28 April 2011 20:03
Butch Fernandez / Reporter
VICE President Jejomar Binay on Thursday batted for a tougher government crackdown against human traffickers as he called on judges, prosecutors and law enforcers to deliver “greater results” in the combating human trafficking.
Addressing the multiagency Summit on Trafficking in Persons, Binay said: “We must demonstrate greater results in efficiently investigating, prosecuting, and convicting both labor and sex trafficking offenders involved in the trafficking of Filipinos in the country and abroad.”
He pressed concerned agencies to increase efforts to “vigorously investigate and prosecute government officials complicit in trafficking, dedicate more resources and personnel to prosecuting trafficking cases and devote increased resources to victim and witness protection.”
Binay added that as the presidential adviser for overseas workers’ concerns, it is also his “personal advocacy to see that we increase our efforts to engage governments of destination countries, through diplomatic and law enforcement channels, in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenders.”
In attendance at the summit, convened by the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, were officials of the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of the Interior and Local Governments and the Philippine National Police, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Philippine Judicial Academy.
According to Binay, who serves as chairman emeritus of the Interagency Council Against Trafficking, “human trafficking remained one of the most pressing challenges to the Philippines” adding that “cooperation between law enforcers, prosecutors and judges was crucial in addressing the issue.”
He advised the summit participants to focus on “prosecution, protection and prevention,” which were the three key result areas outlined in the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report of the United States State Department.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Aquino claim on trafficking corrected
Manila Standard Today
April 27, 2011
Eric B. Apolonio
THE American Embassy in Manila on Monday corrected reports that the United States had removed the Philippines from its watch list of “Tier 2” states that do not fully comply with the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
In an e-mail message sent to several publications, embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Brown Thompson said an interim report cited the “significant progress” that the Philippines had made in combating human trafficking, but mentioned no change in its status as a Tier 2 state.
The next tier ranking will be in the next annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which is scheduled for release in June.
The embassy statement contradicted President Benigno Aquino III’s announcement earlier this month that 22 convictions in human trafficking cases helped remove the Philippines from the US watch list. Mr. Aquino made the announcement in General Santos City during the national convention of the Prosecutors League of the Philippines.
The Philippines has been in the United States’ Tier 2 category since 2008.
A US State Department assessment says “there are many cases of overseas Filipino workers all over the globe who are victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment.”
Filipino women are often lured abroad with false promises of legitimate employment, and are subjected to commercial exploitation in destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America, the assessment says.
April 27, 2011
Eric B. Apolonio
THE American Embassy in Manila on Monday corrected reports that the United States had removed the Philippines from its watch list of “Tier 2” states that do not fully comply with the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
In an e-mail message sent to several publications, embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Brown Thompson said an interim report cited the “significant progress” that the Philippines had made in combating human trafficking, but mentioned no change in its status as a Tier 2 state.
The next tier ranking will be in the next annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which is scheduled for release in June.
The embassy statement contradicted President Benigno Aquino III’s announcement earlier this month that 22 convictions in human trafficking cases helped remove the Philippines from the US watch list. Mr. Aquino made the announcement in General Santos City during the national convention of the Prosecutors League of the Philippines.
The Philippines has been in the United States’ Tier 2 category since 2008.
A US State Department assessment says “there are many cases of overseas Filipino workers all over the globe who are victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment.”
Filipino women are often lured abroad with false promises of legitimate employment, and are subjected to commercial exploitation in destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America, the assessment says.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Phl boosts campaign against human trafficking
The Philippine Star
April 21, 2011
By Edu Punay
MANILA, Philippines - The government has boosted its campaign against human trafficking operations in the country after joining forces with US-based human rights organization International Justice Mission (IJM).
In a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed yesterday afternoon, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and IJM committed to collaborate in combating trafficking and other violent exploitation of Filipino women and children through intensified rescue of victims and prosecution of perpetrators.
Under the MOA, the IJM would provide assistance to concerned agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, DOJ’s law enforcement arm, in terms of technical, legal and logistic support, capacity-building training, and prosecution of cases.
The non-government organization based in Washington also vowed to train NBI agents and DOJ prosecutors based on an updated manual on anti-human trafficking law enforcement and prosecution.
IJM national director for the Philippines Andrey Sawchenko said the move was part of their group’s commitment “to actively seek the protection of the law for those who most need it.”
“For those who are even now suffering in silence, victimized by traffickers and unable to win their own freedom, well-intentioned words will not be enough. They need rescue. They need security. They need to know that the public justice system will be working on their behalf,” he said.
The DOJ, for its part, vowed to strengthen anti-trafficking operations in Metro Manila, Cebu City and Angeles City in Pampanga - key areas identified to have relatively high rates of trafficking activity.
It is also tasked to prioritize resolution of human trafficking complaints and monitor the cases when they reach the courts. The department and IJM, under the MOA, would coordinate on capacity-building projects.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, in her message during the signing of MOA at the DOJ, cited the importance of IJM’s assistance in the government’s campaign against human trafficking operations.
“For so long, the Philippines has been seen as a haven for human traffickers, who use our nation as a source, destination and transit point for their operations. They’ve been met with so much success that trafficking in human beings is now considered worldwide as one of the most profitable criminal activities, next to the arms and illegal drug trade.
“Our aim is simple: succeed in removing the Philippines from their ‘trade route,’” said De Lima, also chair of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar, DOJ official-in-charge of IACAT operations and human trafficking cases, also welcomed the MOA.
Earlier, DOJ officials have expressed optimism that the country would be removed from the Tier 2 watch list on human trafficking of the US State Department.
April 21, 2011
By Edu Punay
MANILA, Philippines - The government has boosted its campaign against human trafficking operations in the country after joining forces with US-based human rights organization International Justice Mission (IJM).
In a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed yesterday afternoon, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and IJM committed to collaborate in combating trafficking and other violent exploitation of Filipino women and children through intensified rescue of victims and prosecution of perpetrators.
Under the MOA, the IJM would provide assistance to concerned agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, DOJ’s law enforcement arm, in terms of technical, legal and logistic support, capacity-building training, and prosecution of cases.
The non-government organization based in Washington also vowed to train NBI agents and DOJ prosecutors based on an updated manual on anti-human trafficking law enforcement and prosecution.
IJM national director for the Philippines Andrey Sawchenko said the move was part of their group’s commitment “to actively seek the protection of the law for those who most need it.”
“For those who are even now suffering in silence, victimized by traffickers and unable to win their own freedom, well-intentioned words will not be enough. They need rescue. They need security. They need to know that the public justice system will be working on their behalf,” he said.
The DOJ, for its part, vowed to strengthen anti-trafficking operations in Metro Manila, Cebu City and Angeles City in Pampanga - key areas identified to have relatively high rates of trafficking activity.
It is also tasked to prioritize resolution of human trafficking complaints and monitor the cases when they reach the courts. The department and IJM, under the MOA, would coordinate on capacity-building projects.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, in her message during the signing of MOA at the DOJ, cited the importance of IJM’s assistance in the government’s campaign against human trafficking operations.
“For so long, the Philippines has been seen as a haven for human traffickers, who use our nation as a source, destination and transit point for their operations. They’ve been met with so much success that trafficking in human beings is now considered worldwide as one of the most profitable criminal activities, next to the arms and illegal drug trade.
“Our aim is simple: succeed in removing the Philippines from their ‘trade route,’” said De Lima, also chair of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar, DOJ official-in-charge of IACAT operations and human trafficking cases, also welcomed the MOA.
Earlier, DOJ officials have expressed optimism that the country would be removed from the Tier 2 watch list on human trafficking of the US State Department.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Rights Handbook
The Manila Times
April 2, 2011
Commission on Human Rights Chairman Loreta Ann Rosales and Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Executive Director Daisy Arago shows to media the Human Rights Defender Handbook during its launching at The University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City on Friday.
April 2, 2011
Commission on Human Rights Chairman Loreta Ann Rosales and Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Executive Director Daisy Arago shows to media the Human Rights Defender Handbook during its launching at The University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City on Friday.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Justice refiles non-bailable cases against Tan’s brother
Manila Standard Today
November 30, 2010
by Rey E. Requejo
THE Justice Department has decided to pursue qualified trafficking charges against businessman Mariano Tanenglian, his wife and two children, an offense for which no bail is allowed and which carries a life sentence.
The case stems from a complaint filed in 2009 by a former maid, Mary Jane Sollano, who accused Tanenglian, the brother of taipan Lucio Tan, of keeping her against her will, beating her and forcing her to work without pay.
Tanenglian, his wife Aleta and children Fayette and Maximillian also face charges for serious illegal detention and child abuse.
In a resolution dated Nov. 24, Justice Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar reversed a review resolution that cleared the Tanenglians of qualified trafficking and serious illegal detention.
“After careful evaluation, we find that there is reasonable ground to believe that respondents, in addition to the charge of child abuse, likewise committed the crime of serious illegal detention and ... qualified trafficking,” Salazar said.
The Tanenglians’ lawyer said the Quezon City Regional Trial Court had already dismissed the very same cases that the new Justice Department resolution now wanted reinstated.
“It does not matter if this is done before or after the arraignment of the accused[,] or that the motion was filed after a reinvestigation or upon instructions of the Secretary of Justice who reviewed the records of the investigation,” Raymundo Quiroz said, quoting a 1987 Supreme Court ruling.
Sollano said she was recruited in Zamboanga del Sur in June 2004, when she was only 13, to work as a domestic in Manila. She said that during her stay with the Tanenglians, she was forced to work from 4 a.m. to midnight without being paid, and that she suffered cruelty and ill treatment at their hands.
The first time she suffered physical abuse from her employers was in July 2004, when she was slapped several times by Aleta for having committed a mistake in her work, she said. After that, she was slapped, kicked, choked or slammed against the wall whenever she made a mistake.
She was also made to undress while the respondents took nude pictures of her and threatened to expose those to the public. She was beaten, chained by her neck until she could hardly breathe, and scalded with hot water when she was caught taking food from the refrigerator.
She was finally able to leave the house five years later, on Aug. 10, 2009, after another maid left and told her father of Sollano’s condition.
The father, who thought Sollano had died, coordinated with the Quezon City police, the Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to get his daughter back.
A similar complaint was filed by Aljane Bacanto, who had also worked as a domestic for the respondents. She said she was 16 when she started working for the Tanenglians, she was not paid, and she and the other maids were not being fed enough that they were forced to steal food from the dogs. The Tanenglians asked other maids to strip naked and to do their chores without any clothes on.
They were all locked inside the house and were prevented from leaving. Bacanto said she was made to write letters to make it appear that she was in good hands when she was not.
Bacanto was finally freed when she got hold of a cell phone and called her mother, who tried to fetch her from the Tanenglian residence.
She recalled that she was sent one morning to the airport and sent home, and only later did she find out about her mother’s attempt to rescue her.
Bacanto filed charges of ill treatment and serious illegal detention against the Tanenglians.
On Jan. 12, 2010, the investigating prosecutor recommended the Tanenglians’ prosecution for qualified trafficking, serious illegal detention and child abuse, but a review dropped the first two charges before they were restored by the latest Justice Department resolution.
November 30, 2010
by Rey E. Requejo
THE Justice Department has decided to pursue qualified trafficking charges against businessman Mariano Tanenglian, his wife and two children, an offense for which no bail is allowed and which carries a life sentence.
The case stems from a complaint filed in 2009 by a former maid, Mary Jane Sollano, who accused Tanenglian, the brother of taipan Lucio Tan, of keeping her against her will, beating her and forcing her to work without pay.
Tanenglian, his wife Aleta and children Fayette and Maximillian also face charges for serious illegal detention and child abuse.
In a resolution dated Nov. 24, Justice Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar reversed a review resolution that cleared the Tanenglians of qualified trafficking and serious illegal detention.
“After careful evaluation, we find that there is reasonable ground to believe that respondents, in addition to the charge of child abuse, likewise committed the crime of serious illegal detention and ... qualified trafficking,” Salazar said.
The Tanenglians’ lawyer said the Quezon City Regional Trial Court had already dismissed the very same cases that the new Justice Department resolution now wanted reinstated.
“It does not matter if this is done before or after the arraignment of the accused[,] or that the motion was filed after a reinvestigation or upon instructions of the Secretary of Justice who reviewed the records of the investigation,” Raymundo Quiroz said, quoting a 1987 Supreme Court ruling.
Sollano said she was recruited in Zamboanga del Sur in June 2004, when she was only 13, to work as a domestic in Manila. She said that during her stay with the Tanenglians, she was forced to work from 4 a.m. to midnight without being paid, and that she suffered cruelty and ill treatment at their hands.
The first time she suffered physical abuse from her employers was in July 2004, when she was slapped several times by Aleta for having committed a mistake in her work, she said. After that, she was slapped, kicked, choked or slammed against the wall whenever she made a mistake.
She was also made to undress while the respondents took nude pictures of her and threatened to expose those to the public. She was beaten, chained by her neck until she could hardly breathe, and scalded with hot water when she was caught taking food from the refrigerator.
She was finally able to leave the house five years later, on Aug. 10, 2009, after another maid left and told her father of Sollano’s condition.
The father, who thought Sollano had died, coordinated with the Quezon City police, the Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to get his daughter back.
A similar complaint was filed by Aljane Bacanto, who had also worked as a domestic for the respondents. She said she was 16 when she started working for the Tanenglians, she was not paid, and she and the other maids were not being fed enough that they were forced to steal food from the dogs. The Tanenglians asked other maids to strip naked and to do their chores without any clothes on.
They were all locked inside the house and were prevented from leaving. Bacanto said she was made to write letters to make it appear that she was in good hands when she was not.
Bacanto was finally freed when she got hold of a cell phone and called her mother, who tried to fetch her from the Tanenglian residence.
She recalled that she was sent one morning to the airport and sent home, and only later did she find out about her mother’s attempt to rescue her.
Bacanto filed charges of ill treatment and serious illegal detention against the Tanenglians.
On Jan. 12, 2010, the investigating prosecutor recommended the Tanenglians’ prosecution for qualified trafficking, serious illegal detention and child abuse, but a review dropped the first two charges before they were restored by the latest Justice Department resolution.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Anti-smuggling summit
Manila Standard Today
by Manny Palmero
November 25, 2010
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and chairman Jesus Lim Arranza of the Federation og Philippine Industries firm up a memorandum Of agreement expressing the government-private sector joint effort to stop smuggling. The federation conferred awards for outstanding practices on four companies (lower panel): Sura Sak Kraiwitchaicharoen of Mariwasa Siam Ceramics Inc., Teodorico Funtanar of Taiheiyo Cements Philippines Inc., Delfin de Guzman of Honda Cars Philippines, and Ma. Socorro Prado of Holcim Philippines. They were joined by Ernesto Ordonez, president of Cement Manufacturers Association; George Chua, FPI president and Meneleo J. Carlos Jr., chairman.
by Manny Palmero
November 25, 2010
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and chairman Jesus Lim Arranza of the Federation og Philippine Industries firm up a memorandum Of agreement expressing the government-private sector joint effort to stop smuggling. The federation conferred awards for outstanding practices on four companies (lower panel): Sura Sak Kraiwitchaicharoen of Mariwasa Siam Ceramics Inc., Teodorico Funtanar of Taiheiyo Cements Philippines Inc., Delfin de Guzman of Honda Cars Philippines, and Ma. Socorro Prado of Holcim Philippines. They were joined by Ernesto Ordonez, president of Cement Manufacturers Association; George Chua, FPI president and Meneleo J. Carlos Jr., chairman.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Nail Torture Shows Maid Abuse in Mideast
Bangkok Post
November 16, 2010
Human Rights Watch Tuesday urged Middle Eastern states to protect migrant workers after two Sri Lankan maids returned from the region with shocking stories of torture by their employers.
The New York-based rights group said accusations by three Sri Lankan maids that they were forced to swallow nails or had nails driven into their bodies highlighted a broad pattern of abuse of migrant domestic workers.
"The wanton brutality alleged in these cases is shocking, but reports of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and labour exploitation such as non-payment of wages are nothing new," said Nisha Varia, HRW's senior women?s rights researcher.
"The governments of Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia need to show they take such allegations seriously, and create accessible ways for domestic workers to report abuse as soon as it happens."
In August, a Sri Lankan housemaid gained worldwide attention after she complained that her Saudi employer drove 24 nails into her arms, legs and forehead as punishment.
Most of them were removed by surgeons at Sri Lanka's Kamburupitiya hospital.
The Saudi government and private sector officials in Riyadh have questioned the credibility of the woman's allegations.
Surgeons on Monday removed the last five wire nails from another Sri Lankan housemaid who accused her Kuwaiti employer of hammering 14 nails into her body when she asked for her salary after working for six months.
The authorities in Colombo are investigating another claim from a third Sri Lankan maid in Jordan who has alleged that she was forced to swallow six nails when she demanded her salary.
Sri Lanka's Foreign Employment Bureau chief, Kingsley Ranawaka, said they were awaiting a medical report to decide on action regarding the woman who is said to have been admitted to a hospital in Amman.
Some 1.8 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad, of whom 70 percent are women. Most work as housemaids in the Middle East while smaller numbers work in Singapore and Hong Kong, seeking higher salaries than they would get at home.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/206695/nail-torture-shows-maid-abuse-in-mideast-hrw
November 16, 2010
Human Rights Watch Tuesday urged Middle Eastern states to protect migrant workers after two Sri Lankan maids returned from the region with shocking stories of torture by their employers.
The New York-based rights group said accusations by three Sri Lankan maids that they were forced to swallow nails or had nails driven into their bodies highlighted a broad pattern of abuse of migrant domestic workers.
"The wanton brutality alleged in these cases is shocking, but reports of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and labour exploitation such as non-payment of wages are nothing new," said Nisha Varia, HRW's senior women?s rights researcher.
"The governments of Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia need to show they take such allegations seriously, and create accessible ways for domestic workers to report abuse as soon as it happens."
In August, a Sri Lankan housemaid gained worldwide attention after she complained that her Saudi employer drove 24 nails into her arms, legs and forehead as punishment.
Most of them were removed by surgeons at Sri Lanka's Kamburupitiya hospital.
The Saudi government and private sector officials in Riyadh have questioned the credibility of the woman's allegations.
Surgeons on Monday removed the last five wire nails from another Sri Lankan housemaid who accused her Kuwaiti employer of hammering 14 nails into her body when she asked for her salary after working for six months.
The authorities in Colombo are investigating another claim from a third Sri Lankan maid in Jordan who has alleged that she was forced to swallow six nails when she demanded her salary.
Sri Lanka's Foreign Employment Bureau chief, Kingsley Ranawaka, said they were awaiting a medical report to decide on action regarding the woman who is said to have been admitted to a hospital in Amman.
Some 1.8 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad, of whom 70 percent are women. Most work as housemaids in the Middle East while smaller numbers work in Singapore and Hong Kong, seeking higher salaries than they would get at home.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/206695/nail-torture-shows-maid-abuse-in-mideast-hrw
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Asean ministers meet in Manila to tackle human trafficking
The Philippine Star
October 28, 2010
By Cecille Suerte Felipe
MANILA, Philippines - Ministers of the member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are set to discuss the problems of human trafficking, illegal drugs and terrorism in the region.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo welcomed his counterparts from the ASEAN yesterday as he stressed the need to strengthen regional cooperation and commitment against these crimes and the other transnational crimes.
Robredo said these issues would be the top agenda of the 10th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC).
“Organized crime groups that are operating across borders are taking advantage of the sophisticated weaponry, modern technologies and telecommunications,” Robredo told the ASEAN delegates during the formal opening ceremony at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City.
Robredo led the Philippine delegation with Undersecretary Rico Puno in the welcoming ceremonies.
Puno, chairman of this year’s SOMTC, explained the ASEAN SOMTC is the operating arm of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMC), the highest policy-making body on ASEAN cooperation in combating transnational crimes.
The SOMTC is instrumental in realizing the recommendations of the Vientiane Action Plan to develop the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism, which has been signed by all ASEAN member countries.
Robredo, on the other hand, told the ASEAN forum that “the sophistication of crime groups should serve as a challenge for the ASEAN to work more closely together for a more comprehensive regional strategy against transnational crimes.”
“Crimes have evolved and taken many forms and these will continue to be an issue for all of us here,” he said.
Robredo said the Philippines was chosen as the Lead Shepherd for Trafficking in Persons (TIP), which has been in the forefront of regional and local actions against trafficking in persons.
Robredo said human trafficking is a significant issue in the Philippines since 2003, which prompted the government to enact Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
The law makes us one of the first countries in Asia to have enacted an anti-trafficking legislation, Robredo pointed out.
Robredo told the forum that the DILG had issued several directives to local government units for the strict implementation of RA 9208 and the establishment of the necessary institutional mechanisms for the protection and support of trafficked persons.
He added the National Police Commission also issued guidelines for improving case management and initiating efforts towards addressing the problem of trafficking in persons.
Participants in the high-level ASEAN meet are senior officials from ASEAN member states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Representatives from international organizations also attended the forum.
“It is my hope that by the time this meeting comes to a close, we will be in a more strategic position to effectively address new and more sophisticated criminal threats, and closer to our goal of a peaceful and stable ASEAN region,” Robredo said.
This developed as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said a Filipino was sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
The DFA told presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Vice President Jejomar Binay that the Filipino was sentenced to death last Oct. 11 amid the state prosecutor’s petition for a lower sentence of life imprisonment.
The DFA did not identify the Filipino death convict but revealed she was a drug mule caught carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin at the Audisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta last April 25.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. warned that Indonesia and other countries have imposed stiff penalties on illegal drug possession.
“We warn our countrymen from carrying drugs when traveling overseas and especially not to accept packages which they suspect contain drugs, and also to be wary of the modus operandi being used by drug trafficking syndicates. If they are caught, they will face very dire circumstances,” Conejos said.
The DFA said some 112 Filipino migrant workers are now detained in China facing drug-related cases.
As of Oct. 21, 2010, the DFA said there are 76 Filipinos in China who have been convicted and sentenced to death for drug trafficking.
Of the 112 death penalty cases, 16 are OFWs charged for multiple murder/murder, murder with robbery, blasphemy and drug-related case.
The cases of 18 OFWs in Malaysia who were sentenced to death include drug trafficking, robbery with homicide, rape with homicide and murder.
Conejos said there are already 205 Filipinos facing drug trafficking cases abroad.
Meanwhile, the Blas Ople Policy Center, the Cravings Group and Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. yesterday launched a job training scholarship program for victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
Dubbed as the “Skills-Up” program, the project aims to equip victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking with housekeeping and barista skills to enable them to penetrate the local and overseas job markets.
For its initial phase, the Blas Ople Policy Center has recommended 20 scholars for the training program.
Susan Ople, president of the Blas Ople Policy Center said the 20 scholars, who are victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment, would undergo a three-month course on hotel housekeeping and barista training for free. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Mike Frialde
October 28, 2010
By Cecille Suerte Felipe
MANILA, Philippines - Ministers of the member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are set to discuss the problems of human trafficking, illegal drugs and terrorism in the region.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo welcomed his counterparts from the ASEAN yesterday as he stressed the need to strengthen regional cooperation and commitment against these crimes and the other transnational crimes.
Robredo said these issues would be the top agenda of the 10th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC).
“Organized crime groups that are operating across borders are taking advantage of the sophisticated weaponry, modern technologies and telecommunications,” Robredo told the ASEAN delegates during the formal opening ceremony at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City.
Robredo led the Philippine delegation with Undersecretary Rico Puno in the welcoming ceremonies.
Puno, chairman of this year’s SOMTC, explained the ASEAN SOMTC is the operating arm of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMC), the highest policy-making body on ASEAN cooperation in combating transnational crimes.
The SOMTC is instrumental in realizing the recommendations of the Vientiane Action Plan to develop the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism, which has been signed by all ASEAN member countries.
Robredo, on the other hand, told the ASEAN forum that “the sophistication of crime groups should serve as a challenge for the ASEAN to work more closely together for a more comprehensive regional strategy against transnational crimes.”
“Crimes have evolved and taken many forms and these will continue to be an issue for all of us here,” he said.
Robredo said the Philippines was chosen as the Lead Shepherd for Trafficking in Persons (TIP), which has been in the forefront of regional and local actions against trafficking in persons.
Robredo said human trafficking is a significant issue in the Philippines since 2003, which prompted the government to enact Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
The law makes us one of the first countries in Asia to have enacted an anti-trafficking legislation, Robredo pointed out.
Robredo told the forum that the DILG had issued several directives to local government units for the strict implementation of RA 9208 and the establishment of the necessary institutional mechanisms for the protection and support of trafficked persons.
He added the National Police Commission also issued guidelines for improving case management and initiating efforts towards addressing the problem of trafficking in persons.
Participants in the high-level ASEAN meet are senior officials from ASEAN member states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Representatives from international organizations also attended the forum.
“It is my hope that by the time this meeting comes to a close, we will be in a more strategic position to effectively address new and more sophisticated criminal threats, and closer to our goal of a peaceful and stable ASEAN region,” Robredo said.
This developed as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said a Filipino was sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
The DFA told presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Vice President Jejomar Binay that the Filipino was sentenced to death last Oct. 11 amid the state prosecutor’s petition for a lower sentence of life imprisonment.
The DFA did not identify the Filipino death convict but revealed she was a drug mule caught carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin at the Audisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta last April 25.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. warned that Indonesia and other countries have imposed stiff penalties on illegal drug possession.
“We warn our countrymen from carrying drugs when traveling overseas and especially not to accept packages which they suspect contain drugs, and also to be wary of the modus operandi being used by drug trafficking syndicates. If they are caught, they will face very dire circumstances,” Conejos said.
The DFA said some 112 Filipino migrant workers are now detained in China facing drug-related cases.
As of Oct. 21, 2010, the DFA said there are 76 Filipinos in China who have been convicted and sentenced to death for drug trafficking.
Of the 112 death penalty cases, 16 are OFWs charged for multiple murder/murder, murder with robbery, blasphemy and drug-related case.
The cases of 18 OFWs in Malaysia who were sentenced to death include drug trafficking, robbery with homicide, rape with homicide and murder.
Conejos said there are already 205 Filipinos facing drug trafficking cases abroad.
Meanwhile, the Blas Ople Policy Center, the Cravings Group and Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. yesterday launched a job training scholarship program for victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
Dubbed as the “Skills-Up” program, the project aims to equip victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking with housekeeping and barista skills to enable them to penetrate the local and overseas job markets.
For its initial phase, the Blas Ople Policy Center has recommended 20 scholars for the training program.
Susan Ople, president of the Blas Ople Policy Center said the 20 scholars, who are victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment, would undergo a three-month course on hotel housekeeping and barista training for free. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Mike Frialde
Monday, October 18, 2010
Statement Affirming Recent IACAT Anti-Trafficking Efforts
The Philippine Star
October 18, 2010
Human rights agency International Justice Mission (IJM) commends the Philippines Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) on its recent efforts to fight human trafficking in the Philippines.
When IJM offices in the Philippines began collaborating with local law enforcement to combat the trafficking of children into the sex trade in 2003, results were initially slow in coming due to several factors - including corruption and the low priority placed on the issue. Today, IJM is encouraged that the current administration under President Benigno Aquino III has made rooting out corruption and fighting human trafficking top priorities. To those ends, the administration has taken initial steps to eradicate corruption in its anti-trafficking response, starting with the Bureau of Immigration. Secretary of Justice Leila De Lima has promised to prioritize implementation of Republic Act No. 9208, including revitalizing the critical functions of IACAT in monitoring and coordinating efforts of the justice system to secure justice for victims of trafficking and protection for the vulnerable.
“We encourage the Aquino administration to continue to prioritize anti-trafficking efforts, to boldly push forward with aggressive anti-trafficking law enforcement and prosecution, and take strong and swift action against any corruption encountered,” said IJM Field Offfice Director in Cebu Andrey Sawchenko. "IJM condemns political interference in anti-trafficking prosecutions - particularly involving high-level suspects - as this prevents justice from being achieved for past, present and future victims."
In 2010 - for the second year in a row - the Philippines was placed on the “Tier II Watchlist” of the U.S. Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, putting $700 million of U.S. foreign aid in jeopardy if no significant improvement is made to meet international anti-trafficking standards. The efforts of IACAT in monitoring and coordinating the government’s response are of utmost importance to protecting society’s most vulnerable members and in enhancing international perception of the Philippines as a place where traffickers cannot get away with selling children.
IJM would be encouraged to see IACAT and its member agencies launch a strong, clear and continuous mandate for aggressive anti-trafficking action through dedicated, funded law enforcement units, and coordination with the Office of the Supreme Court Administrator to fast-track and closely monitor anti-trafficking prosecutions. Such steps would protect those being victimized today and provide a foundation for long-lasting efforts to eradicate human trafficking in the Philippines.
International Justice Mission is an international human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. In the Philippines, IJM works with the Department of Justice, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Philippine National Police and other IACAT member agencies to prosecute traffickers and perpetrators of sexual violence and promote a functioning public justice system.
October 18, 2010
Human rights agency International Justice Mission (IJM) commends the Philippines Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) on its recent efforts to fight human trafficking in the Philippines.
When IJM offices in the Philippines began collaborating with local law enforcement to combat the trafficking of children into the sex trade in 2003, results were initially slow in coming due to several factors - including corruption and the low priority placed on the issue. Today, IJM is encouraged that the current administration under President Benigno Aquino III has made rooting out corruption and fighting human trafficking top priorities. To those ends, the administration has taken initial steps to eradicate corruption in its anti-trafficking response, starting with the Bureau of Immigration. Secretary of Justice Leila De Lima has promised to prioritize implementation of Republic Act No. 9208, including revitalizing the critical functions of IACAT in monitoring and coordinating efforts of the justice system to secure justice for victims of trafficking and protection for the vulnerable.
“We encourage the Aquino administration to continue to prioritize anti-trafficking efforts, to boldly push forward with aggressive anti-trafficking law enforcement and prosecution, and take strong and swift action against any corruption encountered,” said IJM Field Offfice Director in Cebu Andrey Sawchenko. "IJM condemns political interference in anti-trafficking prosecutions - particularly involving high-level suspects - as this prevents justice from being achieved for past, present and future victims."
In 2010 - for the second year in a row - the Philippines was placed on the “Tier II Watchlist” of the U.S. Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, putting $700 million of U.S. foreign aid in jeopardy if no significant improvement is made to meet international anti-trafficking standards. The efforts of IACAT in monitoring and coordinating the government’s response are of utmost importance to protecting society’s most vulnerable members and in enhancing international perception of the Philippines as a place where traffickers cannot get away with selling children.
IJM would be encouraged to see IACAT and its member agencies launch a strong, clear and continuous mandate for aggressive anti-trafficking action through dedicated, funded law enforcement units, and coordination with the Office of the Supreme Court Administrator to fast-track and closely monitor anti-trafficking prosecutions. Such steps would protect those being victimized today and provide a foundation for long-lasting efforts to eradicate human trafficking in the Philippines.
International Justice Mission is an international human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. In the Philippines, IJM works with the Department of Justice, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Philippine National Police and other IACAT member agencies to prosecute traffickers and perpetrators of sexual violence and promote a functioning public justice system.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Nails Removed from tortured Sri Lankan Maid
BBC
August 27, 2010
Doctors have removed 13 nails and five needles from a Sri Lankan housemaid who said her employer in Saudi Arabia hammered them into her body.
LP Ariyawathie, 49, told staff at Kamburupitiya Hospital her employer inflicted the injuries as a punishment.
X-rays showed that there were 24 nails and needles in her body. Doctors said those remaining inside her body posed no immediate threat to her life.
The nails were up to 2in (5cm) long, a hospital official said.
"The surgery is successful and she is recovering now," Dr Satharasinghe said, according to news agency Associated Press.
Ms Ariyawathie, a mother of three, underwent a three-hour procedure.
Doctors said they would carry out further surgery later to remove the remaining nails.
'Deeply traumatised'
Ms Ariyawathie travelled to Saudi Arabia in March to become a housemaid.
Last week, she flew back to Sri Lanka and was admitted to hospital in the south of the island, where she told doctors she had undergone abuse for more than a month.
The doctors found 24 metal pieces in her legs and hands.
She could not sit down or walk properly, doctors said.
They said Ms Ariyawathie was deeply traumatised and unable to give full details of her experience.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation.
"We have launched a strong protest with the Saudi government through the external affairs minister, but there has been no response yet," Kingsley Ranawaka, chairman of Bureau for Foreign Employment, told the BBC.
Around 1.8 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad, 70% of whom are women.
Most work as housemaids in the Middle East, while smaller numbers work in Singapore and Hong Kong.
August 27, 2010
Doctors have removed 13 nails and five needles from a Sri Lankan housemaid who said her employer in Saudi Arabia hammered them into her body.
LP Ariyawathie, 49, told staff at Kamburupitiya Hospital her employer inflicted the injuries as a punishment.
X-rays showed that there were 24 nails and needles in her body. Doctors said those remaining inside her body posed no immediate threat to her life.
The nails were up to 2in (5cm) long, a hospital official said.
"The surgery is successful and she is recovering now," Dr Satharasinghe said, according to news agency Associated Press.
Ms Ariyawathie, a mother of three, underwent a three-hour procedure.
Doctors said they would carry out further surgery later to remove the remaining nails.
'Deeply traumatised'
Ms Ariyawathie travelled to Saudi Arabia in March to become a housemaid.
Last week, she flew back to Sri Lanka and was admitted to hospital in the south of the island, where she told doctors she had undergone abuse for more than a month.
The doctors found 24 metal pieces in her legs and hands.
She could not sit down or walk properly, doctors said.
They said Ms Ariyawathie was deeply traumatised and unable to give full details of her experience.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation.
"We have launched a strong protest with the Saudi government through the external affairs minister, but there has been no response yet," Kingsley Ranawaka, chairman of Bureau for Foreign Employment, told the BBC.
Around 1.8 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad, 70% of whom are women.
Most work as housemaids in the Middle East, while smaller numbers work in Singapore and Hong Kong.