La Trinidad Antitrafficking Law pushed

PREVENTIVE measures are being done to prevent trafficking.

Authored by Councilors Estrella Adeban and Roderick Awingan, the new law wants to incorporate programs, projects and activities to prevent trafficking in the Valley.

“Are we going to wait until there are cases of trafficking in persons?” Adeban said.

Adeban added in the proposed law, certain programs to address human trafficking in the municipality with an emergency shelter or housing assistance.

“If there are cases of trafficking, there is a center that would give programs to children affected,” quipped Adeban.

Adeban said there will also be free legal services because not all can afford to have a lawyer.

The lawmaker is mulling to at assign a legal officer to address such issue.

Under the proposed law, programs which

include counselling, medical or psychological services, livelihood and skills training, educational assistance will be done with the creation of a committee on anti-trafficking to coordinate with the programs.

The proposed ordinance is on its third and final reading.

Pursuant to the Anti-trafficking Act of 2003, trafficking in persons refers to the recruitment, transportation, harboring of persons with or without the victims consent or knowledge, within or across national border by means of threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person.For the effective implementation of the ordinance, the mayor will have the power to deputize barangay officials.