Phl upgrade in anti-trafficking rating sought

MANILA, Philippines - Anti-human trafficking advocates yesterday expressed optimism the Philippines will be upgraded to at least Tier 2 in the 2011 United States’ Trafficking in Persons Report. Cecilia Oebanda, founder and executive director of the Visayan Forum Foundation, said more traffickers were convicted in the country, particularly in Zamboanga, in the past seven months.

“We have a total of 380 pending cases (of human trafficking)… from 18 convictions, we have already recorded 42 convictions in the past seven months,” Oebanda said in a forum at the Philippine Information Agency office in Quezon City.

“We are seeing progress in the government’s efforts to stop human trafficking… we are hopeful our rating will improve this year,” she said.

The next US Trafficking in Persons Report is set to be released in June, Oebanda said.

Oebanda said the illegal trade of human beings is one of the most profitable industries in the world, now pegged at $32 billion.

In its 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report, the US State Department ranked the Philippines under the Tier 2 watch list – a rank lower than the Tier 2 category – for the second consecutive year.

Oebanda said the Philippines has to resolve more human trafficking cases as the US could pull out some $250 million in aid to the country’s fight against the illegal trade of human beings.