Phl in Tier 1 of US anti-human traffic index

The US State Department has ranked the Philippines in Tier 1 of its Trafficking in Persons Report not only because of its accession to the Palermo Protocol, but also due to its domestic laws and rules on anti-human trafficking.

Consul General Antonio Morales of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong informed the International Confer- ence on Combatting Human Trafficking 2018 of the highest rating of the Philippines in the said report.

He mentioned that the pro-active stance of the government on anti-human trafficking resonates even to its Foreign Service Posts, which prompted him to host, together with the International Organization for Migration, an anti-human trafficking seminar for consular officers in April. Morales underscored the necessity of fostering cooperation among the other consulates general in Hong Kong for the sharing of best practices and information regarding anti-human trafficking.

The consul general attended the conference at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center to discuss issues, promote awareness of and encourage initiatives in crafting measures to combat human trafficking.

The conference, organized by Hong Kong Legislative Council (Legco) members Dennis W.H. Kwok and Kenneth Leung, sought to gather international experts, members of the consular corps, chambers of commerce, international businesses, prominent law firms and civil society groups.

Kwok and Leung were proponents of the Modern Slavery Bill of 2017 pending before the Legco.