Group welcomes PH removal from US trafficking blacklist

ILOILO CITY — A non-government organization and the regional head of the government task force working against human trafficking welcomed the delisting of the Philippines in the United States’ Trafficking in Persons Watch List.

Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, founding president and executive director of the Visayan Forum Foundation (VF), told the Inquirer Wednesday that the delisting was a product of painstaking efforts of various organizations and the political will of the government.

“It shows that we can achieve much if we work together and if government is committed in cracking down against human trafficking,” Oebanda said.

The VF, a multi-awarded organization, helps trafficking victims in 20 provinces and provides them with shelter in halfway houses in sea ports as well as legal assistance and psychosocial aid through counseling and life skills training, according to its website.

Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane, head of the Department of Justice Task Force for Anti-Human Trafficking in Cebu, agreed that the delisting was a result of the concerted effort with the task force and the different non-government organizations including the Visayan Forum and International Justice Mission.

Gubalane also credited the media for making the people aware of the issue, which resulted to several pieces of information reaching the task force.

Oebanda said significant gains have been achieved in the past year including the conviction of 25 cases, twice the number of those combined in the past seven years.

Gubalane said Central Visayas had contributed to those convictions, saying there were around five to six convictions of trafficking offenders in Cebu City.

He also cited their operations in two establishments, Gate 3 and Jaguar KTV Bar in Cebu City conducted in December 2010 and April 2011 where they rescued 40 and 146 women, respectively.   INQUIRER