by Diana Lat, ABS-CBN News, Sep 18, 2018
Daanan ng human trafficking ang Palawan, ayon sa Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) na pinangungunahan ng Department of Justice (DOJ).
Ayon kay Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, ginagamit ang timog na bahagi ng Palawan upang makapagbiyahe ang human traffickers ng mga biktima gamit ang barko o bangka.
“From Puerto Princesa City, traffickers take their victims to Brooke’s Point via land and from there, they take to the sea via motorboats to the municipality of Mapun in the province of Tawi-tawi,” aniya.
“From Mapun they travel to Turtle Islands in Tawi-tawi, and then they proceed to Sandakan Malaysia or they go straight from Mapun to Sandakan.”
Ang pangako, bibigyan sila ng trabaho sa mga hotel. Ngunit pagdating sa ibang bansa, ibang trabaho pala ang ipapagawa.
“Female victims are often lured from the Philippines and onto Malaysia with promises of employment in the service sector such as in the hotel, food and wellness industries,” ani Aglipay-Villar.
“But later they are often forced into debt bondage in prostitution in pubs and similar establishments in Sarawak and Labuan, Malaysia. Male workers on the other hand are often trafficked for labor exploitation in the oil and gas facilities in similar areas.”
Ngunit kahit alam ng mga awtoridad kung saan dumadaan ang mga human trafickers, hindi umano ito ganoon kadaling mahuli.
“When you look at the horizon and see nothing but water, it’s very hard to spot a small boat travelling from Mangsee, Island to Malaysia,” ani Atty. Rey Inciong, miyembro ng IACAT.
“When you are confronted, 300 people going through the airport gates on a daily basis, it’s very hard to actually profile possible victims of human trafficking and possible traffickers.”
Base sa datos ng Palawan Provincial Police Office, mula noong 2015 hanggang ngayong taon, aabot ng 18 ang kanilang mga nailigtas na biktima ng human trafficking.
Noong 2015, anim ang na-rescue mula sa Balabac, Bataraza, Taytay, at Aborlan. Anim din ang na-rescue noong 2016 na mula sa El Nido, Quezon, Bataraza, at Balabac. Dalawa ang na-rescue noong 2017 sa Narra at apat ang na-rescue ngayong 2018 sa Brooke’s Point.
Karamihan sa mga ito ay mga menor de edad.
“Hindi lahat dumadaan sa backdoor, nasasamahan na rin dito yung mga nare-recruit dito sa province ng Palawan or dun sa mga beer houses natin minsan mga minors na nagagamit doon for sexual exploitation by means of bar fine money doon sa mga beer houses,” ani Chief Insp. Raul Regala, hepe ng Women and Children’s Protection Desk ng Palawan Provincial Police Office.
May ilan daw na alam na gagawin silang sex workers, pero pumapayag sila dala na rin ng kahirapan.
Aminado ang Palawan Provincial Police na hindi ito kayang tutukan ng mga municipal stations, kaya naman binubuo nila ngayon ang isang task group na tututok sa problema.
“Mayroon na po tayong existing ngayon na WCPC (Women and Children Protection Center) for Southern Luzon at binubuo nila ito ngayong WCPC Southern Palawan Chapter at magkakaroon po ng sariling task group para po ma-monitor o masakote natin po ang ganitong gawain ng human trafficking sa lalawigan ng Palawan,” ani Regala.
Ayon sa Anti-Trafficking In Persons Act of 2003, ang lalabag sa batas ay maaring makulong ng 15 taon hanggang habang buhay at magmumulta ng hindi bababa sa isang milyong piso.
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
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