Religious groups to hold prayer rally vs human trafficking

In the crowded condition of evacuation centers, women and children become vulnerable to rape, trafficking, prostitution and other forms of exploitation, the party-list group Gabriela warned on Monday. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Leaders and members of churches and various religious organizations in Philippines are coming together on December 12 for a day of reflection and prayer against human trafficking, “the fastest growing criminal industry in the world today,” the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines announced Saturday.

Organized by the Interfaith Movement Against Human Trafficking, the prayer rally is a joint initiative of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches in cooperation with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking of the Department of Justice.

According to a statement of the CBCP posted on its website, the prayer rally, called “Day of Prayer Against Human Trafficking,” is slated on December 12, the International Day Against Trafficking.

The CBCP said the event was organized to make the people aware of the campaign against human trafficking, which it said was “the fastest growing criminal industry in the world today.”

Participants are encouraged to wear white t-shirts as “a symbol of the fight to restore dignity to victims of human trafficking.”

The event will be held at the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.The program calls for prayers, reflections and speeches on the fight against human trafficking.

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