UN expert to probe trafficking in PH

MANILA, Philippines – How does the Philippines fare in its fight against human trafficking?

A United Nations (UN) special rapporteur, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, will examine this as she visits the Philippines from November 5 to 9. Ezeilo will probe the situation of trafficked Filipinos as well as government moves to fight this global scourge, said the UN Information Center in a statement Friday, October 2.

“I hope to hear and learn views of trafficked persons and other stakeholders to ensure a human rights-based approach to combating trafficking in persons, as part of my mandate to promote the respect for the human rights of trafficked persons,” said Ezeilo, an independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.

“I also look forward to discussing with the government and all relevant authorities the achievements and challenges in their efforts to combat all forms of human trafficking in the country,” she added in a statement.

In her 5 days in the Philippines, Ezeilo is set to visit Manila and Zamboanga, and meet with government representatives and trafficking victims. She will also visit Cebu to meet with civil society.

While still a haven for human traffickers, the Philippines has improved its fight against prostitution and modern-day slavery in recent years.

In June, the Philippines remained in Tier 2 of the US State Department’s 3-tier system in its annual Trafficking in Persons report. This means despite making significant efforts in fighting human trafficking, the Philippines has yet to fully comply with the minimum standards to eliminate it.

Failure to combat human trafficking could mean withdrawal of US aid, with the superpower at the forefront of the fight against this problem.

The US estimates up to 27-M people worldwide live in slavery. – Rappler.com