ON OCT. 25, 10 women between 22 to 32 years old were rescued by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – Iloilo City field unit from pimps. Two suspected human traffickers were arrested and charged with violating the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.
How do we stop human trafficking? A strengthened information and education campaign would help combat the illegal human trade. There should be a massive information and education campaign against all forms of human trafficking, including cyber pornography.
Technological advancements, such as the internet, are supposed to make life easier and get things done faster. But unscrupulous individuals have been taking advantage of these innovations. The internet has become a new avenue for human trafficking. With the internet allowing communication to cross national borders in a matter of seconds, everything is now within reach, and even human trafficking can now be done online through cybersex trafficking. There are new challenges brought by human trafficking, such as cybersex.
The illegal human trade is a complex web. Battling it requires a concerted effort from all sectors of society. But preventing the crime and protecting our women and children from trafficking can actually start at home by educating our children on how they can protect themselves, including on the responsible use of the internet.
We have shown significant improvements in combating human trafficking. As early as 2014, the Global Slavery Index ranked the Philippines as No. 1 in Asia and No. 29 worldwide out of 166 countries in terms of government response against human trafficking. These numbers should not, however, give us a sense of complacency. While this is laudable, we cannot celebrate because we know that there are still many Filipino women, children and even men here in the country and in other parts of the world who are hoping and praying that soon they will be rescued from slavery.
