MANY of our people who are looking for jobs abroad to escape grinding poverty at home have been victimized by human traffickers, even before this coronavirus pandemic. A primary example is Mary Jane Veloso who is still in jail in Indonesia.
However, human traffickers have increasingly preyed on many of those affected by the harsh lockdown who became more desperate to provide for their families.
Human trafficking involving government officials is another burden that our poor sisters and brothers are forced to carry. Such a glaring example was the narrative of “Diana” (not her real name), a 31-year-old victim of trafficking in 2017. Her journey brought her to Malaysia but was immediately transferred to war-torn Syria.
In Syria, Diana learned that she was pregnant. She asked her agency if she can go back home, but the agency rejected her appeal. She was ordered to abort the baby against her will. A day after, while bleeding, she was sold to another employer. She wanted to escape, but she could not. She asked for help from the Philippine Embassy in Syria, but the embassy refused to assist her and was told that it’s not that easy.
While working, she learned that she is only receiving half of what is stated in the contract, and her service contract is extended to three years, instead of two. When she finally found a chance to escape, she again went to the Philippine embassy to be repatriated. But she was only ridiculed.
With the help of her friends, she finally was able to come back to the Philippines. In Manila, she was not given any support by the government agencies, since, according to them, she was undocumented.
Diana’s experience is but one of the numerous stories of despair of our kababayans who were forced to leave the country to find work abroad to feed their families back here. Her story speaks volumes of the harrowing ordeal of victims of human trafficking, who have endured unimaginable pain, abuse, and years of institutional neglect.
The government must intensify the prosecution against traffickers and recruiters.
The recent Holy Week reminded us of the passion and death of Jesus Christ; may we also be reminded of the suffering that His beloved children, our people, are facing. May the government and its concerned agencies do in all honesty and sincerity, all the efforts to save victims of trafficking to ease the kalbaryo of our people.
