Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros, in a rare move, credited a ranking Marcos administration official, singling out Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, for promptly deploying probers of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to crack down against human trafficking syndicates.
“This is, of course, very welcome as we really have to address the problem of trafficking on all fronts,” Hontiveros said.
The senator pointed out that Remulla, as the lead convenor of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the DOJ is well positioned to look into this particular “case of Pinoys being victimized into participating in scamming activities in Myanmar.”
“Dati na nating nakatrabaho ang NBI pagdating sa paglalantad ng mga taong sangkot sa pastillas scam,” Hontiveros recalled, adding, “Kaya umaasa akong magiging mabunga rin ang pagtutulungan ng ahensya at ng Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality sa pagsugpo dito sa bagong modus ng human trafficking.”
At the same time, the senator stressed, “We cannot allow or afford the social and psychological consequences of lax border management, trafficking, and traumatic events endured by our OFWs.”
Image credits: Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB