AUG.

20, 2012

NR # 2837B

Congress approves bill expanding the anti-trafficking law

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill, which amends Republic Act (RA) No. 9208, known as Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. House Bill 6339, authored principally by Rep. Pryde Henry Teves (3rd District, Negros Oriental), strengthens the mechanisms for the protection and support of victims by further enumerating, specifying and defining concerns and policies of trafficking in persons as prescribed under the present law. Teves said the bill defines trafficking in persons any act of recruiting, obtaining, harboring, maintaining, offering, providing, transporting or transferring any natural person with or without the victims consent or knowledge, within or across national borders. Teves said any act of intimidation, threats, use of force, deceit, servitude and/or forced labor, abduction, bondage from debts, abuse of power, sexual exploitation, among others are elements of trafficking in persons. One of the key provisions of the bill considers tampering, concealing or destruction of evidence or to influence witnesses, or utilizing an office to impede an investigation or prosecution in trafficking as grave offenses, Teves said. The bill protects trafficked victims by ensuring confidentiality or concealment of identity and mandates law enforcement agencies to immediately initiate investigation and countertrafficking-intelligence gathering upon receipts of statements or affidavits from victims of trafficking, migrant workers, or their families who are in possession of knowledge or information about trafficking in persons cases. The measure further provides that cases involving trafficking in persons should not be dismissed based on the affidavit of desistance executed by the victims or their parents or legal guardians and directs public and private prosecutors to oppose and manifest objections to motions for dismissal. The bill imposes the penalty of 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of not more than P1 million to any person found guilty of committing trafficking in persons and provides a 20 year prescriptive period for cases involving minor victims of trafficking. Another provision of the bill calls for the establishment of a central database for trafficking cases and concerns as well as it authorizing law enforcement agencies to hold in custody by issuing an interim protection order, any person on a mere suspicion that he/she is a victim of trafficking. The co-authors of the bill are Reps. Susan A. Yap (2nd District, Tarlac), Emmanuel Pacquiao (Lone District, Sarangani), and Mel Senen S. Sarmiento (1st District, Western Samar) (30) mvip