House eyes stricter law vs trafficking

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives is eyeing changes in the anti-human trafficking law to make it stronger and more effective in deterring human smuggling.

The committee on revision of laws is now making final draft of a measure that would consolidate proposed changes embodied in several bills and recommended by the Inter-Agency Council Against Human Trafficking.

“The House is determined to strengthen our legal penal system to finally eliminate trafficking in persons especially women and children,” Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, committee chairperson, said.

One significant amendment sought by Negros Oriental Rep. Pryde Henry Teves is the removal of the prohibition in the current law on the disclosure of the identities of suspects involved in human trafficking.  

“Restricting the public from having to know the identity and personal circumstances of the accused clearly opposes the strong purpose of the anti-human trafficking law,” Teves said.

He said identifying the suspects would forewarn the public against their illegal activities and those of groups or people associated with them.

Another proposed amendment seeks to increase from 20 years to 25 years the prison term for government officials or employees found involved in human smuggling.

Members of the committee on revision of laws said trafficking in persons cannot be committed without the connivance of public officers such as those assigned at airports, passport issuance and deployment of workers abroad.

“Every day, 3,000 Filipinos leave the country to seek greener pasture abroad. Some will be lucky, but others would not be so fortunate – they become victims of human trafficking syndicates. Some return to the country lifeless, in boxes,” Western Samar Rep. Mel Sarmiento, one of the authors of the proposed amendments, said.