Private research and intelligence agency Capstone-Intel Corporation praises the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent statement suspending the “stricter” policies for Filipino travelers abroad, adding that the national government has to strengthen its laws on eradicating the root cause of exploitation and human trafficking among Filipinos.
According to Atty. Nick Conti, Capstone-Intel’s Chief of Public Affairs, the suspension made by the DOJ shows that authorities, as public servants, listen to the appeal of the public about the new policy.
“We commend the justice department for suspending the implementation of what it called to be ‘stricter’ policies to eradicate human trafficking among our countrymen,” said Conti.
“While we believe the intention of the IACAT is good, it is imperative that they listen rigorously to the other implications of the policies for the Filipino public,” he added.
He likewise said that all Filipinos, regardless of their status, should not be hindered from practicing their “right to travel” as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.
“As stipulated in Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, it guarantees every Filipino’s liberty to travel, and it should not be curtailed by anyone regardless of their power unless national security, public safety, and health are at stake,” he said.
The DOJ, which is in charge of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), has decided to put the implementation of the amended guidelines for Filipinos who wish to travel outside of the country on hold for the time being after drawing criticism from the public and lawmakers.
He likewise said that what the national government needs are legal measures that strengthen the Philippine laws against exploitation and human trafficking in order to ensure that Filipinos practice their right to travel without fear of sacrificing their safety.
“What our government needs are laws that stabilize the arrest of recruiters who exploit our people and make sure that the workers here have adequate protection so that the majority of the Filipinos won’t be affected by this and allow them to enjoy their right to leave the country without experiencing difficulty in presenting documents that are not that important for the purpose of their travel, Conti noted.
According to the DOJ, the primary objective of the revised guidelines was to “streamline the departure procedures” to ensure that there is a “more efficient and secure process” for every Filipino traveling abroad, which, as per Conti, lessens the public’s burden if the government maximizes the usage of modern technologies and tools to reduce paper usage and increase productivity among its officials.
“I definitely agree with the goal of streamlining the departure process, and I think it would be better if we maximize our tools in today’s digital age. Aside from paperless transactions, it also accelerates our personnel’s productivity, which would allow them to serve more travelers,” he said.
