Probe sex trafficking on dating apps, Senate panel asked

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on women and children is expected to look into a new sex trafficking scheme – the so-called “self-trafficking” wherein willing Filipino victims pose as tourists traveling abroad, but are actually doing it to meet paying clients.

The Kilusan ng Ligtas na Manlalakbay (Movement of Safe Travelers) wrote to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the committee, requesting her to look into reports of several Filipino travelers who have been going abroad to engage in sex trafficking by posing as tourists.

“As a group advocating for the safe travel of Filipinos, we learned that these tourists have been technically trafficking themselves through dating apps, Facebook chat groups, messaging apps and other social media platforms,” the group stated in their letter dated April 11, 2023.

The group expressed alarm about the possibility that human trafficking syndicates were actually the ones operating these online chat groups to prey on hapless Filipinos.

“With your able leadership as chairperson of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, we seek your help in bringing to light these unsettling reports about self-trafficking and save our fellow countrymen from falling victims to traffickers,” it said.

The group thanked Hontiveros for her efforts to help government agencies, particularly the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the Bureau of Immigration, in combatting human trafficking as well as for her exposes against corrupt immigration agents that prompted the BI to further tighten the screening procedures for departing Filipinos at airports.

“While we commiserate with their plight as victims, we believe that frontline agencies primarily tasked with protecting our borders and Filipino travelers should be supported in fighting all forms of human trafficking, such as ‘self-trafficking’,” the group said.

It noted that fewer trafficked Filipinos would result in lower expenses for the government, citing a Department of Budget and Management report of a whopping P10.039-billion allocation this year for the repatriation of distressed Filipinos abroad.