House panel OKs bill to toughen anti-trafficking policies; allow ‘wiretapping’ by law enforcers

Illustration of sexual abuse

MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on the welfare of children approved Wednesday a measure that aims to strengthen the country’s anti-trafficking policies, including allowing government agents to conduct “wiretapping” in pursuing trafficking cases.

During its online meeting, the committee approved a still unnumbered bill that seeks to amend the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) Act of 2003 by including online sexual abuses as among human trafficking violations.

“It redefines trafficking in persons to include online offenses or the engagements of others for the production of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials (CSAEM) and online sexual abuse,” Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, who chairs the committee, said.

“Something has to be done to prevent exploitation of people for labor and sexual purposes,” she added.

The measure gives the  Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or any of their representatives who have been duly authorized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in writing to submit exparte applications for the issuance of written orders from the authorizing court to conduct “wiretapping” or interception on any communication in pursuing crime of trafficking.

The measure also includes additional provisions for qualified trafficking when the persons trafficked are persons with disabilities, belongs to an indigenous community, when the crime is committed in times of crisis or emergency when the crime has resulted in pregnancy, or through the use of information and communications technology or using any computer system.

“We want to seek the assistance of private sector, which by the nature of their business activities, may come into contact with a suspected trafficking situation,” Romualdez said.

The measure will be transmitted to the plenary for further debates.