Officials of the executive department admitted having difficulties in prosecuting and securing convictions against  illegal recruiters of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), with only over 25 of them found guilty of the offense since 2016.

"We have to admit that we have very few convictions, your honor," Department of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told senators during a hearing of the Senate labor committee Monday, February 15.

Before this, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian inquired if the proposed creation of the Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFIL) being pushed by the Duterte administration would be able to address the persisting problem on the illegal recruitment of OFWs.

Senator Joel Villanueva, the committee chairman, cited a report from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showing that of the 295 illegal recruitment cases endorsed by the agency for investigation from 2016 to November, 2020, only 25 cases ended to the conviction of the respondents.

Of the convictions, four were from 2016, six were from 2017, and 11 were from 2018. Only two illegal recruiters were convicted for the years 2019 and 2020, respectively.

"If you look at the data right now -- it's very important that we look into this -- last 2019, and 2020, dadalawa lang po 'yong convictions nito (we only two convictions). So we would like to find out, and I join the gentleman from Valenzuela, what will happen if we create DOFIL? Will we be able to address these?" Villanueva asked.

Explaining the figures, Bello said the government's hands are tied because many of the illegal recruiters that they had tracked were based abroad, saying that the recruiters would continue operating despite their interventions.

"Unlike before that most of our illegal recruiters are locally-based, now we have more illegal recruiters based abroad," he told the Senate panel.

"'Pag nasa abroad sila wala talaga tayong magagawa (When they are abroard, we can't do anything about it). Cancel their franchises -- it doesn't really affect their businesses. Talagang mahirap habulin mga 'yan (They are really hard to chase)," he added.

He also noted that while there have been several arrests, "many victims of illegal recruitment are willing victims" who would later decide to withdraw their charges against their recruiters.

The DOJ currently leads the Interagency Task Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which also includes the DOLE.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola agreed with Bello, saying those responsible for trafficking OFWs abroad were either their neighbors or relatives.

But Commission on Filipinos Overseas executive director USec. Astravel Pimentel-Naik emphasized that the Philippine government is still able to maintain its high ranking in fighting human trafficking since 2016.

"Since the start of the administration of President Duterte, we have received the Tier 1 ranking," Pimentel-Naik said in defending the current administrations efforts.

To recall, the Philippines was upgraded to the Tier 1 status in the United States' annual Trafficking in Persons Report during the last term of former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Assuring the senators Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the DOFIL would streamline processes since it includes the establishment of "Overseas Filipinos Malasakit Centers", which would serve as a one-stop shop for all government services relevant to migrant Filipino and their families.

Nograles said that with its creation, OFWs will no longer have to resort to illegal means to work abroad.