Jinggoy seeks measures vs trafficking of Pinoys in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Ejercito Estrada on Wednesday urged the government to intensify its campaign against illegal recruiters involved in trafficking of Filipino women particularly those bound for Singapore.

This, after Estrada received a report from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) indicating an increase of human trafficking to Singapore from 125 cases in 2006 to 212 cases in 2007.

In a statement, Estrada, who chairs the Senate labor committee, lamented that the worsening poverty in the country has forced unemployed workers to seek employment abroad and become victims of human trafficking syndicates.

"Poverty is worsening in the country and more unemployed workers are taking the risk to get work in other countries," Estrada said. "And international syndicates have been preying on desperate workers who are trying to get employment abroad."

Estrada, who is also concurrent chairman of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment, said the Philippine Embassy in Singapore had recently reported that Filipino women victimized by human-trafficking gangs have increased by 70 percent last year compared to the 2006 figures.

Citing the DFA report, Estrada said there were only 59 cases of Filipino human trafficking in 2005.

It added that 57 or 27 percent of the 212 Filipino women victims of human trafficking admitted to have engaged in prostitution.

"Kapit na sa patalim ang karamihan sa ating mga kababayan na walang trabaho, kaya marami naman ang nabibiktima ng mga sindikato ng illegal recruiters (Our countrymen are becoming desperate that's why they fall victims to these syndicates)," Estrada said.

Estrada said the administration should immediately implement countermeasures to protect overseas Filipino workers from human trafficking syndicates and also create more jobs in the country.

"The government should generate more jobs in the country to stop workers from seeking employment abroad," he said.

Earlier, Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Belen Fule-Anota reminded Filipino workers bound for Singapore to "ensure that there is a contract duly verified by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) before packing their bags."

"They should not allow themselves to be deceived by the sweet tongue and false promises made by sex and labor traffickers because once they reach Singapore, they become more vulnerable to intimidation, deception, and exploitation," Fule-Anota added. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV

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