Trafficking victims still face prosecution
‘It’s not automatic that another country will follow or consider a Filipino a victim of human trafficking and apply the non-punishment principle.’
‘It’s not automatic that another country will follow or consider a Filipino a victim of human trafficking and apply the non-punishment principle.’
Filipino victims of human trafficking who are arrested and prosecuted overseas may not automatically be protected by the non-punishment principle, citing differences in how countries handle trafficking cases, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Thursday.
Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said the principle, which protects trafficking victims from being punished for offenses they were compelled to commit as a result of their exploitation, is easier to apply when the offense is prosecuted in the Philippines.
The situation becomes more complicated when a Filipino trafficking victim is prosecuted in another country, Ty said.
“It’s not automatic that another country will follow or consider a Filipino a victim of human trafficking and apply the non-punishment principle,” Ty said during a press briefing on the case of Mary Jane Veloso.
He said the Philippines applies the principle in cases involving trafficking victims found in the country.
For example, Filipinas coerced into sex trafficking would not be prosecuted for prostitution-related offenses, while authorities would instead pursue the traffickers and operators, he said.
Who’re unhappy for Mary Jane?
“Ang sarap talaga maging KRIMINAL ngayon, lalo na pag tungkol sa mga ILLEGAL DRUGS at mga TERORISTANG NPA. VERY SAFE ka sa GOBYERNONG NGIWEAK (It’s really good to be a criminal these days, especially if you’re involved in illegal drugs or are an NPA terrorist. You’re very safe under this weak government)!” — a comment from one DAILY TRIBUNE post went.
Filipinos’ perspective on Veloso has shifted drastically over the past decade. The sympathy has vanished. The collective anxiety over a human life is barely visible. The Filipino mindset is now deeply, politically divided.
Mary Jane represented the ordinary Filipino, someone whose life was marked by hardship while simply trying to make an honest living as a single mother. An innocent person preyed upon by wickedness, thrust onto death row thousands of miles away from her loved ones.
At its core, her story was deeply relatable. It touched upon the familial bonds that the nation cherishes most.
How many are overseas Filipino workers, or come from families with one? How many are single mothers? How many parents are forced to live away from their children? How many children grew up without their parents?
Her story wasn’t just hers. It was ours. She was one of us.
When her case first broke into national and global headlines, a wave of sympathy swept the nation, with countless people saying, “kawawa naman.” People united in prayer through the #SaveMaryJane campaign.
Her ordeal even served as a tragic warning to tighten security around OFWs’ luggage and be mindful of the padala scam.
Now that she has finally seen the light of day, wrapped in the tearful embrace of her parents and children, she returns to a Philippines that is no longer the same country she left.
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