MANILA, Philippines - World boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao has joined the nationwide crusade against human trafficking and expressed willingness to be a spokesman for the campaign to stop the scourge that victimizes mostly the poor.
Pacquiao was among the personalities and officials who attended the high-level dialogue between leaders in government and civil society groups on the problem of human trafficking yesterday at the G Hotel on Roxas Boulevard in Manila.
Pacquiao said he would personally write the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and urge them to allocate more financial resources to fund government and civil society groups in the fight against human trafficking.
“We need a budget allocation for an all-out war against human trafficking,” said Pacquiao in his message to the forum entitled “A Dialogue on Human Trafficking between Civil Society and Leaders in Government.”
The forum was organized by the Blas F. Ople Policy Center in cooperation with United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Also present were representatives from the Departments of Justice, Social Welfare and Development, Labor, Foreign Affairs, as well as some members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
“A lot of the victims of human trafficking syndicates hail from the poorest and most remote towns in the Visayas and Mindanao. It is very painful to hear the stories of all of these victims who only want to provide for their families,” Pacquiao said.
He said he is willing to be part of the massive campaign against human trafficking by being their spokesman and endorser.
“I am willing to join this cause against human trafficking. Aside from coming up with legislation to put more teeth against this crime, I am also submitting myself to give talks, participate in rallies and even be a media endorser to champion the cause against human trafficking,” Pacquiao said.
The dialogue was an initiative of four major civil society organizations: the Association of Child Caring Agencies in the Philippines, Blas F. Ople Policy Center, the Visayan Forum Foundation and Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy.
“We want to extend a hand of cooperation to the officials of the new administration and Congress because the number of cases that the non-government organizations are dealing with has reached alarming levels,” Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said.
In the recently released 2010 US Global Trafficking in Persons Report, the Philippines is once again in the Tier 2 Watch List.
Unless major initiatives are undertaken, the Philippines could land in the Tier 3 Watch List next year which would mean the withholding of US non-humanitarian assistance amounting to $250 million (about P11 billion).
Pacquiao said additional funding would be needed for the Inter-Agency Cooperation Group Against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT).
“I could make a formal request to the Department of Budget and Management, and to the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations for additional funds to be given to the ICAT with a provision that would tap credible non-government organizations and institutional partners in this campaign. I am also willing to take part in a public awareness campaign against human trafficking. I will join you even in the streets to make the people aware about this,” said Pacquiao.
Pacquiao said that he would not be like other politicians who only talk and comment, but do not act.
“I sympathize with the victims because somehow, I am also an OFW (overseas Filipino worker). I train and earn money abroad so I’m also an OFW,” he said.
Pacquiao said most victims are women, mostly from the provinces of the Visayas and Mindanao, including his home province of Sarangani.
He said that mayors in Sarangani have known about this and have welcomed him in joining the fight against human trafficking.
Pacquiao said the enemy in human trafficking is not Filipinos, but the rich foreigners who fund the syndicates and get their women in the Philippines.
Among those who attended the forum were former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., peace advocate Amina Rasul, lawyer Gwen Pimentel, Sen. Bongbong Marcos, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr., Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, Elzaida Washington, acting Mission Director of USAID, and representatives of different government agencies and civil society groups. With Sandy Araneta