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Aug 20, 2010
DoJ chief, American envoy, sign new pact
MANILA – The Philippines and United States have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in combating the growing human trafficking problem in the country. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and United States Ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas, Jr. signed on Thursday the amendment to the Letter of Agreement (LOA) on Law Enforcements between both governments enhancing the country’s anti-trafficking in persons campaign.
The LOA, entitled “Strengthening Capacity to Prosecute and Convict Human Traffickers in the Philippines,” expands and strengthens the Philippine justice system in the enforcement of its anti-trafficking in persons laws by improving the capacity of the prosecution and law enforcement sectors.
During the program (LOA), the United States government will assign a US federal prosecutor as an intermittent legal adviser (ILA) and a US victim-witness coordinator to work in the Philippines with Philippine authorities on anti-trafficking initiatives.
The ILA will promote and encourage prosecutors to increase the number and quality of cases they file for prosecution and decrease the time to bring a case to trial through a combination of training and mentoring.
The ILA will work with prosecutors to formulate best practices, which would serve as an outline for the kinds of evidence prosecutors need to support human trafficking charges and for trial procedures for efficient processing of trafficking cases. The US government will also provide a victim-witness coordinator who will train employees at the Department of Justice on issues related to victim-witness testimony.
DOJ Undersecretary Jose Vicente “Jovee” Salazar, Chairman of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), was elated over the LOA, saying that the program will give a tremendous boost to the government’s effort to eradicate human trafficking by way of successful prosecutions and apprehensions of offenders.
“The US has taken cognizance of the country’s no-non sense effort to combat human trafficking, as such, they are giving us the necessary assistance and support to make us more effective and responsive in our effort to curb, if not eradicate human trafficking,” Salazar said.