INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has urged government agencies to help protect the rights of indigenous peoples (IPs) as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) began a campaign to fight human trafficking.
“They must take care that in the defense of IPs against exploitation and trafficking, our servants of the law must still keep in mind the IPs’ freedom to movement and right against discrimination; being an IP should not be a basis for preventing passage through ports and transportation centers,” the CHR said in a statement on Saturday.
In his visit to Zamboanga City on Nov. 29, Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo and Philippine Coast Guard Comm. Marco Antonio Gines tackled the efforts to combat human trafficking of IPs that included the “strict inspection of ports” and coordination with local governments.
“As with all law enforcement actions and policy implementations, fair investigations should be conducted to determine if the traveling IPs are indeed victims of trafficking,” the CHR said.
“Informing the IPs that even big cities face economic difficulties might help in persuading them in coordinating with development efforts conducted within their home communities,” it added.
Meanwhile, the commission lauded DSWD as it earlier conducted rescue efforts to save the IPs from begging on the streets in urban areas like Metro Manila, send them back to their home provinces, and provide financial assistance of P10,000 per family.