What is 1343 Actionline?

In the US State Department’s Trafficking Report of 2010, the Philippines was classified as a Tier 2 Watchlist country in terms of efforts to combat human trafficking. The country is identified as a source, and to a much lesser extent, a destination and transit country for men, women who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor.

Among the recommendations made were to, among others, (1) demonstrate greater progress on efficiently investigating, prosecuting and convicting both labor and sex trafficking offenders, (2) increase efforts to vigorously investigate and prosecute government officials complicit in trafficking, (3) devote increased resources to victim and witness protection; and to (4) continue disseminating information on the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act throughout the country.

In response to said recommendations, the IACAT-ADVOCOM through the CFO is establishing a 24/7 Action Hotline having been appointed as chair of the Advocacy and Communications Committee of the Inter-Agency Council Against Human Trafficking (IACAT). Based on CFO’s past experience in handling trafficking cases, victims are not adamant in pursuing cases not just for fear of retaliation by traffickers, but more often because of lack of access to government and non-government operated protection services. The goal of the 24/7 action hotline is to address the gap in services of the different government agencies and non-government organizations in assisting victims of human trafficking.