IACAT, OPG, OSG sign MOA for legal task force vs. trafficking, child exploitation

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG), and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for a legal task force against trafficking and child exploitation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday.

According to the DOJ, the MOA was signed by IACAT Undersecretary-in-Charge Nicky Ty, Assistant Solicitor General Thomas Laragan, and OIC Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon.

“This ceremonial signing of the MOA of the OPG, OSG and the IACAT symbolizes the continued coordination and cooperation between and among these offices needed in the fight against human trafficking,” Fadullon said in a statement.

Under the MOA, the IACAT-OPG-OSG Legal Task Force seeks to institutionalize the government’s approach on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) cases.

The DOJ said the MOA will benefit employees and civil servants in protecting victims of abuse and in the investigation into their perpetrators.

"We continue to deal with emerging trends in trafficking in persons and increasing cases of OSAEC due to the vulnerabilities we face as a nation. With this, the DOJ is firm in its resolve to combat this issue,” Ty said.

The DOJ said it spearheaded the alliance with the support of the International Justice Mission (IJM).

IJM National Director Samson Inocencio Jr. said the agreement showed the government’s commitment to fighting trafficking.

"This is our way of telling each survivor that he or she is not alone," he said. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News