PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. has cited the country’s gains in its serious campaign against human trafficking which has earned the nod of the international community.

Speaking at the 24th Interpol Asian Regional Conference in Abu Dhabu, United Arab Emirates, the top cop presented to his global counterparts the PNP accomplishments when it comes to fighting syndicates involved in trafficking in persons.

According to the PNP chief, the Philippines fully meets, if not exceeded, the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and that the country demonstrates a serious and sustained effort during the reporting period.

“For seven consecutive years, the Philippines has maintained its Tier 1 status in the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. The State Department recognized Manila’s assistance to a total of 6,772 potential trafficking victims and around 1,143 Filipino trafficking survivors from the Middle East and Asia,” Gen. Azurin said.

“It lauded the country’s efforts to convict and punish traffickers and the increased use of prosecution procedures, reducing further harm to the victims,” he added.

Citing a report from the PNP Women and Children Protection Center, the PNP chief said that with an estimated 10 million Filipinos working overseas in nearly 170 countries, approximately 3 percent work without a contract.

He agreed that The Philippines is among the source-countries of citizens falling prey to human trafficking with cases of labor trafficking prevalent in countries in the Middle East, such as household or construction workers.

Cases of OFWs being killed or sexually abused by their employers in some Middle East countries is not a rarity, the latest of them involving 35-year old Jullebee Ranara who was raped and impregnated by the 17-year old son of her employer before being ran over by the suspect’s car twice and burnt and left for dead in the desert.

To curb these crimes, Gen. Azurin emphasized the strengthened collaboration of the PNP- WCPC with other government agencies through the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) which serves as the coordinating and monitoring mechanism for all anti-human trafficking efforts of the government.

Also, he said that the government through the IACAT mobilized the Overseas Filipino Workers or OFW Task Force.

He added that the PNP has also forged a partnership with the Anti-Money Laundering Council and other private financial institutions, both local and abroad, to help track suspicious transactions between foreign or local individuals believed to be involved in purchasing or soliciting child abuse materials.

“Over the past years, the synergies of the international community have achieved remarkable results which the Philippines will continue to support to fully address the crimes that transcend national boundaries,” Gen. Azurin said.

The president of Interpol, Mr. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi commended the PNP for its efforts in human trafficking and migrant smuggling as he encouraged other Interpol member-countries to imitate the initiatives of the Philippines.