'SUPPLY CHAIN' OF ABUSE' Hontiveros seeks inquiry into human trafficking amid pandemic, trafficked Filipino women in Syria

"Ilang rolyo ng pastillas ang pinagpalit sa kaligtasan ng ating kababaihan?"

This, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros who has called for a Senate inquiry into the human trafficking of Filipino women, amid a recent report that 12 Filipinas were recruited to work in the United Arab Emirates but were trafficked to Syria to work as domestic workers without their consent.

"Alin ang mga sindikatong sangkot sa kalakalaran ng human trafficking? Nung iniimbestigahan natin ang 'pastillas scam' sa Bureau of Immigration, napagalaman natin na maliban sa pagpapasok ng Chinese nationals na walang inspeksyon, raket din sa BI ang outbound trafficking ng mga Pilipino. May mga institusyon din ba sa Pilipinas na pasimuno o nagproprotekta sa raket na ito? Are the masterminds of the pastillas scam the same people behind this massive business of human trafficking?" Hontiveros said.

While the Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs has already committed to repatriate the remaining trafficked Filipino women in Syria, Hontiveros said it is imperative to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation to better understand what she calls a "supply chain" of abuse.

"We need to better understand the human trafficking 'supply chain' in order to craft more effective legislation to prosecute offenders and protect our women and children," the senator said.

Hontiveros, who filed PSR No. 631, shared that the 12 women were recruited in the Philippines and told that they would be working in Dubai. But upon arriving, the women were locked up inside a dark and dirty dormitory and were made to sleep on the floor. The abuse carried on until their 30-day tourist visas expired and they could no longer seek legal employment in UAE.

"These women were physically abused and threatened the moment they expressed objection to being taken to Syria. Isa lang ito sa mga kwento ng napakaraming Pilipina na matagal nang nagiging biktima ng trafficking sa ibang bansa. Ngunit sa gitna ng pandemya, mas lalala ang sitwasyon nila," Hontiveros said.

PSR No. 631 also aims to investigate the gendered dimensions of human trafficking in the Philippines, where an overwhelming majority of victims are women and girls because of their vulnerability, economic disadvantage, and the increased global demand for sexual services and domestic servitude.

"Dahil na rin sa kakulangan ng oportunidad sa Pilipinas, nagiging mas bulnerable ang ating kababaihan sa trafficking. The pandemic will only drive many families further into poverty, making many members, especially women, more at risk of exploitation and abuse," the senator added.

"Ang sakit sa puso na sa gitna ng isang matinding krisis sa buong mundo, ang mga kababayan natin ay patuloy na inaabuso. The issue of human trafficking of our women is not new, and putting an end to this practice is long overdue," Hontiveros concluded.