DOJ speeding up human trafficking cases

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will fast-track the prosecution of cases involving human trafficking to address the United States’ concerns that the Philippines was not doing enough to deal with the problem.

Acting Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez said she signed Department Order No. 326 creating the Special Task Force on Trafficking in Persons, specifically Women and Children, to expedite hearing and resolution of cases in 60 days from the usual 90 from date of assignment.

"We really need to get out of that poor ranking by the US State Department," Gutierrez said in a briefing, referring to the Philippines’ relegation that put it a step away from sanctions.

Those who will compose the task force are Senior State Prosecutor Lilian Doris Alejo, State Prosecutors Rosalina Aquino, Paulino Gallegos and Aileen Marie Gutierrez. They will investigate and prosecute cases relative to violations of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

Earlier, the DOJ branded as unfair and baseless the US State Department’s 2004 annual report on human trafficking where the Philippines was given a lower ranking in its three-tiered monitoring system of cases in 2003.

Gutierrez said the report, released on June 15, placed the country in "Tier 2 Watch List" from Tier 2 last year despite government efforts to combat trafficking, particularly the passage of a law criminalizing such offense. If a country lands in Tier 3, it faces sanctions.

The US cited the government’s supposed failure to fully comply with its minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, paltry number of prosecutions and convictions, and incomplete available data in downgrading the country’s rating.

"The Philippines is placed on Tier 2 Watch List due to the government’s failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking, particularly in terms of its weak implementation of the anti-trafficking law and a lack of progress in law enforcement," the State Department said.

"The Philippine government should take immediate corrective action through the prosecution of traffickers, aggressive implementation of the new law, and the arrest and prosecution of officials involved in trafficking," it added.

The State Department also noted corruption and a weak judiciary remain serious impediments to the effective prosecution of traffickers.

But Gutierrez said the lower rating was surprising and ironic since it was made after the Philippines passed a law that would not only criminalize trafficking but provide a comprehensive approach in solving the problem.

RA 9208 also incorporates the standards contained in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, which both were ratified by the Philippines.