IACAT launches digital management system for human trafficking cases

by Jeffrey Damicog, Manila Bulletin, 29 Jul 2020

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) has launched a digital management system that allows the tracking of cases involving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and coordinated action among government agencies.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) was launched on Tuesday and will be used by IACAT member agencies, namely, the DOJ, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

“President Duterte has always emphasized the need to ensure the protection and welfare of our overseas workers,” said the IACAT undersecretary-in-charge in a statement.

“The new integrated case management system digitally links various government agencies that are members of IACAT so that we can track in real time the progress of each case and ensure that the rights of OFWs are protected,” she said.

Villar described the launch of the ICMS as timely since the United States’ State Department released its June, 2020, Global Report on Trafficking-in-Persons which recommended that the Philippines needs to come up with a technology-driven case management system.

The IACAT said the ICMS will track the progress of each human trafficking case and the assistance rendered to OFW victims.

“Through the system, various agencies can provide updates to OFW victims on the status of their cases,” the IACAT stated.

“This will eliminate the need for OFW families to go from one agency to another to seek updates on complaints involving the exploitation of their loved ones,” it added.

The system can also be used in providing repatriation and reintegration assistance to OFW victims.

The ICMS can only be accessed by IACAT member-agencies upon the approval of the Council.

The system will also generate analytics and data to show prevalence of trafficking involving OFWs.

The US State Department report indicated that the Philippines is classified as Tier 1 and “fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.”

“The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period. Therefore, the Philippines remained on Tier 1,” the report read.