Senate Bill 2449 or the bill strengthening protection against trafficking in persons reached the Senate plenary on Wednesday.
Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality chairperson Risa Hontiveros sponsored committee report 333 contained under SB 2449 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021 during the chamber’s Wednesday plenary session.
In sponsoring the bill, Hontiveros mentioned the cases of trafficking, which they have investigated in the committee.
She mentioned the cases of Carina who was found to be sold to Chinese nationals who are allegedly working in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), Omaima who was a victim of labor trafficking in the Middle East, and Diana who was deployed in Syria and was forced by her recruiter to abort her offspring.
“It is for them —and for the people and stories and realities they represent — that we sponsor this important bill today. A bill that is also a [Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council] priority measure and one of the highest urgency,” she said.
According to Hontiveros, SB 2449 seeks to hold internet intermediaries accountable for knowingly allowing their infrastructure to be used for acts of trafficking of victims of all ages.
The proposed measure introduces additional aggravating circumstances, notably when the crime is committed during a crisis, a public health concern, a disaster, a humanitarian conflict or emergency situation, or when the trafficked person is a survivor of the same.
The bill likewise provides additional tools for law enforcers to pursue human traffickers, particularly when the violations involve the use of internet and digital platforms.
These include capacitating the law enforcers to access non-content data, such as subscriber information and traffic data, upon formal request to internet intermediaries.
Hontiveros said content data would still require a warrant.
The lawmaker said the bill will increase protections to victims of trafficking, including Filipino victims of trafficking in persons overseas.
Lastly, the measure would increase the duties of local government units in providing recovery and reintegration support to trafficked persons and their families.
She said this is in line with the devolution of anti-trafficking measures from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to local government units.—LDF, GMA News
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