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MANILA, Philippines -- A campaign against the trafficking of Filipino women and children has been launched by a non-government organization.
Taking the fight to the next level, the Visayan Forum said trafficked people were usually enslaved or prostituted.
"Having women and children sold is not acceptable...We have a 14-year-old girl who has become so infected with different kinds of gonorrhea, nireregla siya ng nana [she menstruates pus]," said Cecilia Oebanda, head of the group, as she reminded people of the gravity of the situation.
She said that previous efforts had been confined to stopping human trafficking at the ports, but this has not been enough.
"Our target is the trafficker who has mastered the art of deception, fraud, and exploitation of people's vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities are their dreams, hopes, and poverty," Oebanda said.
She said other groups included were civil society, faith-based organizations, transit companies, government agencies, and embassies of the United States, Japan, and The Netherlands.
Oebanda said that the campaign was launched here because the Philippines was a major source of migrant workers.
