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Solons want to increase penalty against human trafficking |
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Friday, 23 April 2010 |
Party-list lawmakers today urged law enforcement
agencies to vigorously run after criminal syndicates engaged in human
trafficking in the country.
The solons led by Reps. Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales and Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva
(Party-list, Cibac) also moved to increase the penalty against human
trafficking.
Cruz-Gonzales and Villanueva are the authors of House Bill 6962, which seeks to
amend Republic Act 9208 or the anti-human trafficking law.
"Philippines has a serious trafficking problem of women
and children illegally recruited into the tourist industry for sexual
exploitation," Cruz-Gonzales said.
Cruz-Gonzales said women and children are offered attractive jobs in the
country or abroad but they are coerced, forced and controlled into the sex
industry.
"Children and teenagers are lured into the industry from poor areas by
promises of money and care, and are kept there by threats, debt bondage and
fear of poverty," Cruz-Gonzales said.
Under the bill, violators face 25 years imprisonment. The present law imposes
only 20 years jail sentence.
Government officials or employees who were found guilty of participating in
human trafficking will get 10 year imprisonment.
RA 9208, passed in 2003, declares as policy for the State to give highest
priority to the enactment of measures and development of programs that will
promote human dignity, protect the people from any threat of violence and
exploitation, eliminate trafficking in persons, and mitigate pressures for
involuntary migration and servitude of persons.
SOURCE:
Public Relations and Information Department
House of Representatives
16 April 2010 09:38:02 AM
Writer: Abigail A. Modino, MRS-PRIB
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Last Updated ( Friday, 23 April 2010 )
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