EDITORIAL - Another watch list

Incidences of unexplained killings and forced disappearances have gone down, but the Philippines still receives unfavorable assessments of its human rights record. The reason for this is the same reason why the Philippines was downgraded by Washington to a watch list of countries that are not doing enough against human trafficking: few people are being convicted and punished. In the case of the killings and disappearances, this has created a culture of impunity that has been condemned by international human rights groups.

The same impunity will develop unless the government improves its prosecution of human trafficking cases. In the latest Trafficking in Persons Report prepared by the US State Department, the Philippines dropped from Tier 2, its classification for the past three years, to a Tier 2 watch list of countries that have made little progress in convicting human traffickers.

From minor felonies to the worst offenses including plunder and extrajudicial killings, the Philippines has always had a poor record in convicting and punishing offenders. Notorious drug dealers are acquitted because law enforcers lose interest in pursuing a case in court. There are too many sacred cows in the campaign against corruption. Cases trotted out by the government to show progress in this campaign involve mainly the small fry. And how many individuals since 1986 have been sent to prison for the kidnapping, torture or summary execution of militant activists and journalists?

The same weakness in the criminal justice system bedevils the campaign against human trafficking. In response to the US downgrade, the Bureau of Immigration cited the progress in its efforts to deter human traffickers. The BI reported that in 2008, 1,025 Filipinos were prevented from leaving the country on suspicion that they were victims of human traffickers, while 261 foreigners were barred from entering. The Inter-Agency Council Against Human Trafficking also reported that it has filed 256 cases against suspected human traffickers.

The BI and the council may be doing their jobs, but what about the rest of the agencies in the criminal justice system? The 256 cases are pending. The US report noted that of 168 human trafficking cases brought by law enforcement agencies to the Department of Justice last year, 97 were filed in court, with only four convictions. Justice does not end with the arrest and indictment of suspects. Criminals must realize that anyone who breaks the law will get appropriate punishment.