Gatchalian: Human trafficking a clear and present danger
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian raises concern over the proposed cut in the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) budget, describing the problem on human trafficking as a clear and present danger.
During the hybrid hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance on the proposed P26.69 billion budget of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its attached agencies for fiscal year 2023, Gatchalian asked Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty on the impact of budget cuts on IACAT’s operations, especially when the country was already making headway in its fight against human trafficking.
Gatchalian pointed out that the country maintained its Tier 1 classification in the 2022 US Annual Report on Human Trafficking. Countries with Tier 1 classification were considered to be those that had fully met minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
Gatchalian expressed fear that cutting the IACAT budget by 34 percent to P59 million would result in the lackluster performance of the anti-human trafficking watchdog and therefore affect the country’s rating in the annual human trafficking report.
“With this cut, will it affect our standing in terms of human trafficking? How will the cut affect the operations in terms of fighting human trafficking in our country?” Gatchalian asked.
In response, Ty agreed with Gatchalian that the significant budget cut will affect the country’s campaign in its fight against human trafficking.
