Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla expressed alarm and disgust over the plight of about 2,000 Filipinos who have become victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia for the first two months of 2023.
“Very alarming ‘yan (It’s very alarming),” Remulla told journalists in an interview.
He said he got the figures during the meeting held by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) that was held in Malacanang on Monday, March 13, and attended by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“That’s why we are alerting all the agencies kasama na immigration, lahat na kasama na pwedeng tumulong (including the Bureau of Immigration and other agencies that can help),” he said.
He also said the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) will be heading to Southeast Asian countries “para makita ang plight ng mga Filipinos (to look into the plight of Filipinos).”
“This is what we call modern-day slavery. Kaya nga sana ang Filipino mag-iingat. Dapat meron tayong checklist bago gustuhin natin mag-abroad (I hope Filipinos will be more careful. You should have a checklist before we desire to work abroad),” he stressed.