Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said that the guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) are unreasonable and put an additional burden on Filipino travelers.
He also said the guidelines require more documents compared to a visa application.
To investigate the government’s efforts against human trafficking, he filed Senate Resolution No. 762 to ask the appropriate Senate committees to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the various initiatives of the government to strengthen its anti-trafficking in programs.
“The prevention of human trafficking is an inter-agency task that not only involves providing stringent requirements on international-bound Filipinos, but also proper awareness and education among Filipinos, and the apprehension of law enforcement agents and other government officials who facilitate or connive with wrongdoers,” Villanueva said.
The new protocols have drawn flak from various sectors and individuals, who raised concerns about the extra burden and additional cost to travelers.
Sen. Grace Poe meanwhile asked concerned government agencies to temporarily defer the implementation of the new travel rules amid concerns raised by the public on the burdensome requirements.
“The lingering doubts and questions about the new rules must not be swept under the rug,” Poe said.
She noted that authorities must make traveling through the country’s airports secure against human traffickers.
Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services said a second look at the guidelines is in order to avert “complications” that may be encountered by the passengers.
She said the concerns raised by individuals and various sectors about possible infringement of the right to travel and privacy matters (such as financial records) merit a thorough review of the new protocols.
The long list of documents required of certain travelers also entails time and costs, an added burden to the travelers, she said.
“We welcome the move to address delays and inefficiencies at our airports and curb the scourge of human trafficking. But, doing so should not be at the expense of legitimate Filipino travelers,” Poe said.
Poe said concerned agencies must focus on training immigration personnel to spot trafficking, beef up security, and cleansing their ranks of corrupt and inefficient staff.
Poe has led Senate investigations on the delays and inefficiencies at the airports. She has also filed resolutions leading to inquiries on trafficking of workers and cyber fraud operations in various hubs in the country.