Binay assails human trafficking by some Cebu families

Financial difficulties have led some families to traffic their own members in an effort to make ends meet, such as the case of a number of families in Ibabao, Cebu, who forced their children to perform sexual acts on the Internet for pedophiles all over the world. ““That, my dear friends, is the biggest tragedy of the human trafficking problem when the very primary defense against the malaise actually abets it,” said Vice President Jejomar C. Binay during the Workshop on Human Trafficking organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.” In line with this, Binay said the fight against human trafficking thus begins with strengthening the Filipino family, which he dubbed as the “frontline defense mechanism against human trafficking.” The Vice-President then urged the CBCP to discuss how to strengthen the family, and laid out possible solutions to the inter-connected issues of poverty and human trafficking in the country. Binay is the chairman emeritus of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.

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http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/regions/28203-binay-assails-human-trafficking-by-some-cebu-families

Arrested Syrian reveals human trafficking scheme in Malate

A Syrian disguised as a Canadian had admitted involvement in a suspected human trafficking syndicate in Malate, Manila. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that Yaroub Zamzam, 40, from Latakia, Syria was arrested on February 16 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. Angelica Pedro, spokesperson for BI, said in a statement that Zamzam returned to Manila in September 2013 since his first arrival in 2003 to visit his girlfriend. He admits that he had help in acquiring a French passport through a certain Muhammad Jaaber, who heads a human trafficking ring based in Malate. Pedro revealed that Jaaber is allegedly involved in coordinating the departure of Filipina domestic helpers for Lebanon via Malaysia as tourists. Zamzam was asked to offload from the plane at NAIA after he boarded a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Vancouver, Canada. His travel documents were turned over to the intelligence unit of the NAIA terminal for further investigation.

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http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/02/20/1292600/arrested-syrian-reveals-human-trafficking-scheme-malate

Filipino Trafficking victims reunite with families in the U.S.

Like many Filipinos, Josie Gutierrez and Cecile Venzon left their loved ones in the Philippines in the pursuit of their American Dream. That dream soon turned into a nightmare, and the two ladies found themselves victims of human and labor trafficking. They are not alone, as countless immigrants fall prey to this modern-day slavery. But thanks to the T-visa, an immigration relief that allows for certain victims of trafficking and their immediately family members to remain in the U.S., Gutierrez and Venzon have been reunited with their loved ones. "Pinakamasayang nanay sa buong mundo! Nakita ko na mga anak ko! Hindi na Facebook, personal na. (I am the happiest mother in the world! I have finally seen my children! It’s no longer on Facebook, but in person.)" Gutierrez said.
Yet the journey to reach this happy moment was a tough one. Cecile Venzon had worked 17-hour days for a diplomat in Englewood, New Jersey who paid her less than the $1,600 she was promised every month. She was not compensated for overtime hours and was not given any days off until she was able to escape. Josie Gutierrez underwent a similar ordeal with an employer who paid her only $400/month. These women were stripped of their freedom and constantly threatened with deportation, with their employers adding that they had no right to demand higher wages because they did not pay taxes and did not have Social Security. "She (Gutierrez) was in a trafficking situation for a long time,” Terri Nilliasca, an attorney for Damayan Migrant Workers Association, said. "The reason that happens a lot of times is that people don’t realize the situation they're in. They know it’s terrible, but they don’t know where to go, how to get help, and sometimes they feel that they owe some kind of debt to their employer and so they don’t want to leave, they can’t leave." Damayan Migrant Workers Associated helped the women to escape, and turn their lives around for the better. The group encourages anyone else who finds themselves a victim of labor and human trafficking to come forward and get help.

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http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/02/12/14/filipino-trafficking-victims-reunite-families-us

ABA resolution urges businesses to adopt policies against child labor and labor trafficking

The ABA House of Delegates has adopted a resolution that urges businesses to adopt policies against child and labor trafficking that are consistent with four models. The principles outlined in the resolution – known as Resolution 102B – says the business will prohibit child and labor trafficking in its operations, assess the risk of these problems, train relevant employees and communicate with suppliers, and devise a remediation policy to address child labor and trafficking. According to Delegate E. Christopher Johnson Jr. of Michigan, the principles “will try to give business the tools they need to erase this scourge on humanity. We have tolerated it far too long.”

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http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/aba_resolution_urges_businesses_to_adopt_policies_against_child_labor_and_l/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=topstories_rss