IBP to give free legal aid to human trafficking victims

MANILA, Philippines - Citing the need to improve on the low level of prosecution and convictions involving cases of human trafficking, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has offered to extend free legal aid to victims of trafficking.

The IBP and the Visayan Forum Foundation (VFF), an umbrella of non-governmental groups fighting human trafficking, yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement which guarantees victims of human trafficking, free legal assistance and representation from the IBP’s 85 chapters nationwide. “We are committed to support efforts for the effective prosecution of traffickers,” said Roan Libarios, IBP governor for eastern Mindanao and a former representative of Agusan del Norte.

“We hope to significantly impact on the campaign against human trafficking and improve the country’s performance. Information dissemination (on human trafficking) is not enough. We need prosecutions and convictions,” he added.

Based on data given by the VFF, from 2003 to 2009, there were 938 trafficking cases. Of these, 387 cases (41 percent) were filed in court for violation of Republic Act 9208 (Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003) with 23 cases filed for violation of related laws.

Of the 938 cases, 335 cases (36 percent) are still pending resolution at the various prosecutors’ offices while 167 cases (18 percent) were either dismissed or dropped.

According to VFF, although RA 9208 took effect in 2003, as of July 2010, there have been only 18 convictions. Majority of the cases filed according to the foundation, were for forced labor and for prostitution. The VFF added that the dismal prosecution and conviction rate in human trafficking cases is the reason why the Philippines has been placed in the Tier 2 Watch List by the United States Department of State in its 2010 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.

According to the VFF, the Philippines was placed in the Tier 2 Watch List as the government has not fully complied with the minimum standards set for the elimination of trafficking; there is a need for further efforts to address the significant level of corruption that allows serious trafficking to continue; there has not been any conviction for labor trafficking, which is a significant problem for Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad; and the government did not show evidence of significant progress in convicting traffickers, especially those involved in labor trafficking.

The US Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 requires any country ranked in the Tier 2 Watch List for two consecutive years to be downgraded to Tier 3 on the third year, unless their ranking improves or the US president waives application of the provision.