THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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s: 
S.B. No. 
u. 
SENATE 
, Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 14 provides: 
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The Sfate recognizes Article 2, Section I4 provides: 
The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building and 
shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women 
and men. 
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The worldwi? trafficking of persons has a disproportionate impact on women and has 
been and continues to'be condemned by the international community as a violation of 
fundamental human rights. 
The fastest gjowing international trafficking business is the trade in women, where 
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women and girls seeking a better life, a good marriage, or a lucrative job abroad, unexpectedly 
find themselves in situations of forced prostitution, sweatshop labor, exploitative domestic 
servitude, or battering and extreme cruelty. 
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The Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing cal'sd on all governments to take 
measures, including legislative measures, to provide better protection of the rights of women and 
girls in trafficking, to address the root factors that place women and girls at risk to traffickers, and 
to take measures to dismantle the national, regional and international networks on trafficking. 
Hence, this bill seeks to combat the crime of international trafficking and to protect the 
rights of victims by providing them humanitarian and legal assistance. 
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‘(14 jd:- 27 i‘4 :c 1 
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First Regular Session! 
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THIRTEENTH CON 1; 
! RESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
by providing humanitarian 
I Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
and legal assistance; 
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AN ACT 
TO COMBAT THE CRIME OF INTERNATIONAL TRAFFiCKING AND TO 
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PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF VICTIMS 
Re it enacted by tie Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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Tjtk-This 
Act shall be known as the “International Trafficking of 
Protection Act.” 
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SECTION 2. Purposes.-The 
purposes of this Act are to condemn and combat the 
international crime :f trafficking in women and children and to assist the victims of this crime 
SECTION 4; Interagency task force to monitor and combat tra8cking.- 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT- 


(1) IN GENERAL-There 
is established an Interagency Task Force to Monitor and 
Combat Trafficking (referred to as the “Task Force” in this section). The Task Force shall be co- 
chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Chairman 
of the Commission on Human Rights. 
(2) APPOdMENT OF MEMBERS-The 
members of the Task Force shall be 
appointed by the Prejident. The Task Force shall consist of no more than twelve members. The 
Task Force shall inilude representatives from agencies and non-governmental organizations 
working for the protection of women and children. 
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(3) STAFF7Tbe Task Force shall be authorized to hire up to five staff members to 
prepare the annual report described in subsection (h) and to carry out additional tasks which the 
Task Force may require, The Task Force shall regularly hold meetings on its activities with 
nongovernmental organizations. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS-Not 
later than March 1 of each year after the 
enactment of this Act, the Task Force, shall submit a report to Congress describing the status of 
international trafficking, including- 
(1) an assessment of the efforts by the government to combat trafficking. Such an 
assessment shall address-- 
(A) 
(B) 
which governmental authorities are involved in anti-trafficking activities; 
what steps the government has taken towards ending the participation of its 
officials in trafficking; 
(C) 
what steps the government has taken to prosecute and investigate those officials 
found to be involved in trafficking; 
(D) 
what steps the government has taken to prohibit other individuals from 
participating in trafficking, including the investigation, prosecution and conviction of individuals 
involved in trafficking, the criminal and civil penalties of trafficking, and the efficacy of those 
penalties on reducing or ending trafficking; 
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(E) 
whai steps the government has taken to assist trafficking victims, including 
efforts to prevent victims from being further victimized by police, traffickers, or others, grants of 
stays of deportation! and provisions of humanitarian relief, including provision of mental and 
physical health care and shelter; 
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(F) 
whether the government is cooperating with governments of other countries to 
extradite traffickers when requested; 
(12) whether the government is assisting in international investigations of 
transnational trafficking networks; and 


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data and assessing trafficking for the Inter-Agency Task Force to Monitor and Combat 
SECTION 5. Traflcking victim reguZations.-Not 
later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Department of Justice shall jointly promulgate regulations of law 
enforcement personnel, immigration officials, and Foreign Service officers requiring that- 
(1) law enforcement, immigration officials, and Foreign Service offenders shall be 
trained in identifying and responding to trafficking victims; 
(2) trafficking victims shall not be jailed, fined, or otherwise penalized due to having 
been trafficked, or the nature of their work; 
(3) trafficking victims shall have access to legal assistance, information about their rights, 
and translation services; 
(4) trafficking victims shall be provided protection if, after an assessment of security risk, 
it is determined that the trafficking victim is susceptible to further victimization; and 
(5) prosecutors shall take into consideration the safety and integrity of trafficked persons 
in investigating and prosecuting traffickers. 
SECTION 6. Assistance to trajicking victims. 
(a) IN THE PHILIPPINES-The 
Secretary of Health is authorized to provide assistance 
to trafficking victims(and to their children in the Philippines, including mental and physical health 
services, and shelter., 
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(b) IN OTHER COUNTRIES-The 
President is authorized to provide programs and 
aCllVltleS IO ISSISt Filipino 
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trafficking victims and their children abroad, including provision of 
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mental and physical health services, and shelter. Such assistance should give special priority to 


programs by nongovernmental organizations which provide direct services and resources for 
trafficking victims. 
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SECTION 7 .  Authorizution of appropriations.-There 
shall be authorized such sums as 
may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 8. Separubility Claux-If 
any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 9. hepealing Clause.-Any 
law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with, the provisions ofthis Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 101 Effectivity Clause.-This 
Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
FN: 1875