Philippines Co-chairs High-Level Dialogue to Address Transnational Crime and Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia Region
Left to right: Assistant Secretary Francis John L. Tejano (DOJ), Undersecretary Eduardo José A. De Vega (Co-Chair, DFA OUMWA), Mr. Jeremy Douglas (Co-Chair, UNODC) and Dr. Rebecca Miller (UNODC)
BANGKOK, 10 July 2023 – The Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) co-chaired the High-Level Dialogue (HLD) to Address Transnational Crime and Human Trafficking Associated with Casinos and Scam Operations, organized by the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (ROSEAP) and held today in Bangkok, Thailand.
The HLD, attended by all ASEAN countries plus China, aimed to discuss the emerging trend on human trafficking and people smuggling linked to organized transnational criminality. These are facilitated by highly organized criminal groups who are engaged in money laundering, corruption, cyber-enabled crimes, kidnapping, extortion, and torture.
UNODC estimates that there are thousands of victims throughout Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. These trafficking victims are forced to engage in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, fraudulent investment in non-existing assets and ventures, and illegal gambling are examples of scams that target susceptible and vulnerable persons.
Through the efforts of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the Philippines was able to maintain its Tier 1 status in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report of the US State Department. The Philippines consistently maintained Tier 1 ranking since 2015, reflecting the persistent and resolute efforts of the country to combat human trafficking. In partnership with other member agencies of the IACAT, the DFA-OUMWA continuously promotes the fight against human trafficking and provides necessary assistance to our kababayans in need.
The Philippine delegation was composed of officials from the DFA, DOJ, BI, and DMW. Speaking as Co-Chair of the Dialogue, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega thanked all delegations present for their insights into the necessary measures that need to be taken jointly by all nations in the region, consistent with the spirit of cooperation expressed by ASEAN Leaders when they issued the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Combating Trafficking in Persons Caused by the Abuse of Technology during the last ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia held last May. END
