|
MASBATE CITY: The Masbate City council has
unanimously enacted an ordinance aimed at strengthening efforts of
the city government to combat what the United Nations regards as
modern-day slavery, the forced prostitution, sex trafficking and
child labor.
City Ordinance 082-06, which was
signed by Mayor Socrates M. Tuazon on December 18, instituted the
local government’s machinery and strategies to curb the
recruitment and transit of men, women and children trafficked for
purposes of human exploitation and forced labor.
The ordinance, now known as the
city’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Ordinance, adopted the city
government’s roles and responsibilities defined by Republic Act
9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.
With the approval of the
ordinance, the city became the first locality in Masbate to take the
first significant step to shed the image as a source, transit and
destination spot for men, women and children trafficked for purposes
of human exploitation and forced labor.
The ordinance prohibits forced
labor, debt bondage and all forms of sexual exploitation such as
prostitution, pornography and sex tourism.
All acts that promote or
facilitate human trafficking, including the use of the Internet to
disseminate propaganda, are now punishable.
The ordinance also establishes
the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Committee, which will assist the
city government in its implementation. The committee will be
composed of representatives from various sectors.
To fuel the implementation of the
ordinance, the city government will earmark for it part of the five
percent of its internal revenue share for every year.
--PNA
|
