(Eagle News)–President Bongbong Marcos has ordered intensified efforts against human trafficking.
Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said in a statement issued by the Presidential Communications Office that the President also wants the country to maintain its Tier 1 ranking when it comes to addressing the transnational crime.
The ranking, the PCO said, indicates that a country fully complies with the minimum standards for the eradication of trafficking and is actively working to address the same.
According to the Justice official, who is also a member of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, the President has in fact given specific instructions for the Philippines to retain the rank, which he said means that he “will support all the facets and all the programs that the (IACAT) has already put in place” and would also like to “enhance those programs.”
Clavano said the IACAT has also given the President a “situationer” on the issue, which the President is expected to raise during his attendance in the 43rd ASEAN Summit to be held in the first week of September in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Aside from issuing the 2023 Revised Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Guidelines on Departure Formalities for International-bound Filipino Passengers, IACAT and the Justice Department are working with their ASEAN partners through coordination meetings and summits to strengthen cooperation against human trafficking, the PCO said.
The PCO said they also identified hotspots for human trafficking.
“So, the international nature or the cross-boundary or trans-boundary nature of the crime is something that we are really looking into and we engage with our counterparts from the different countries, the Foreign Affairs of the different countries, so we can gather the best practices and we can also keep up with the trends that are currently being seen in the trafficking industry or area,” Clavano added.