IACAT probes PH backdoor as human trafficking escape route
The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) has begun looking into how it can stop the country's backdoor from being used as escape route in human trafficking.
In a statement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said an IACAT delegation headed by Undersecretary-in-Charge Felix L. Ty recently visited Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (ZamBaSulTa).
The DOJ explained that the trip which was done from Jan. 21 to 26 was the first part of the IACAT’s research “ukol sa ‘backdoor exits’ na ginagamit bilang ruta ng human traffickers palabas ng Pilipinas (about ‘backdoor exits’ being utilized by human traffickers out from the country).”
“Naging positibo ang pananaw ni Usec. Ty na mahalagang hakbang ang naging paglalakbay ng IACAT sa ZamBaSulTa upang mas lumawak ang kamalayan ng Pilipino sa human trafficking (Ty has a positive approach on the trip which he believes will expand the awareness of Filipinos on human trafficking),” it said.
“Sa pamamagitan nito, nakita ang determinasyon ng bansa sa paglaban sa anumang uri ng pang-aabuso at pananamantala sa nagdudulot ng modern day slavery o human trafficking (Through this, the country’s determination has been shown in fighting all kinds of abuses and exploitation from modern day slavery or human trafficking),” it added.
Meanwhile, the DOJ assured that more measures will be undertaken “upang paigtingin ang pagbabantay sa mga backdoor exits sa karagatan (to intensify the guarding of the backdoor exits).”
It said that he trip the delegation was able to conduct consultations with officials of ZamBaSulTa.
The delegation was composed of 38 persons and includes officials from DOJ, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Member of Parliament (MP), BARMM Regional Anti-Trafficking Task Force (RATTF), Palawan and Puerto Prinsesa Anti-Trafficking Task Force (PPATF), Zamboanga Sea-Based Anti-Trafficking Task Force (ZSBATTF), and Ninoy Aquino International Airport Task Force Against Trafficking (NAIATFAT).