SC asked to speed up resolution of human trafficking cases

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera has asked the Supreme Court to speed up the resolution of human trafficking cases filed before the courts. In a letter to Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Devanadera said delays in resolving cases and lack of convictions were among the reasons cited by the US government in downgrading the Philippines’ standing in the global campaign against human trafficking. On the DOJ side, Devanadera said she has issued a memorandum directing state lawyers to ask courts to fast track decisions on the cases. The memorandum requires the prosecutors to submit a report to the Office of the Secretary the status of pending human trafficking cases for inventory and monitoring on or before July 31, 2009. Devanadera had earlier said that there are a total of 679 cases of human trafficking filed at the DOJ from 2003, when the anti-trafficking in persons law was enacted, to last year. Of these, she said 253 are pending resolution at the department, 229 have already been filed in court, while the others had been filed in connection to violation of related laws, dismissed or withdrawn. Her predecessor, Raul Gonzalez, issued a circular in April 2005 directing prosecutors to give preferential attention to human trafficking cases. Devanadera’s move came after the US State Department, in its 2009 Global Trafficking in Persons, downgraded the country’s rating to Tier 2-watch-list stage on its lack of improvement in efforts against human trafficking. In its 2008 report, the Philippines was in Tier-2, but the downgrading to a watch list level implied that the country has encountered major hindrances in executing its mandate. - GMANews.TV