Senator Risa Hontiveros (Senate PRIB)



A group has brought to the attention of Senator Risa Hontiveros the alleged use by human trafficking syndicates of online chat groups to prey on hapless Filipino womem who end up departing as ‘’tourists’’ to engage in the sex trade. Jose Pat. Valdenor, executive director of KILIG-LAKBAY (Kilusan ng Ligtas na Manlalakbay), said several Filipino travelers have been going abroad to engage in sex trafficking by posing as “tourists". ‘’As a group advocating for the safe travel of Filipinos, we learned that these ‘tourists’ have been technically trafficking themselves through dating apps, Facebook chat groups, messaging apps and other social media platforms,’’ Valdenor said. He said his group is also alarmed about the possibility that human trafficking syndicates were actually the ones operating these online chat groups to prey on hapless Filipinos. ‘’While we commiserate with their plight as victims, we believe that frontline agencies primarily tasked with protecting our borders and Filipino travelers should be supported in fighting all forms of human trafficking, such as ‘self-trafficking’,’’ he added. ‘’We write your good office in appreciation of your efforts to help our government agencies, particularly the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the Bureau of Immigration (BI), in combatting human trafficking,’’ he stressed. Valdenor lauded Hontiveros’ previous exposes against corrupt immigration agencies, which prompted BI to further tighten the screening procedures for departing Filipinos at the airports. He said his group supports the government's efforts against human trafficking since fewer trafficked Filipinos result in fewer expenses for the government. Valdenor cited a Department of Budget and Management  (DBM) report that for 2023, the budget allocated for the repatriation of distressed Filipinos abroad was a whopping P10.039 billion. ‘’With your able leadership as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, we seek your help in bringing to light these unsettling reports about "self-trafficking" and save our fellow countrymen from falling victims to traffickers,’’ he said.