By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Justice Assistant Secretary Michelle Anne Lapuz stated Sunday (10 March 2024) that the Department of Justice (DOJ) stands for the rights of women, children, and marginalized sectors of society.

Lapuz also emphasized the gender and development (GAD) vision and mission of the Department, aiming “to achieve a just and peaceful society through the establishment of an effective gender-sensitive, gender-responsive, and child-friendly justice system. A justice system that is accessible to everyone and inclusive.”

“All genders need to work hand-in-hand to change the current paradigm and achieve the ultimate goal of gender equality, eradicating all forms of violence, abuse, and exploitation against women, men, and children,” Lapuz emphasized during her dialogue with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

The Assistant Secretary also outlined various programs of the DOJ aimed at intensifying the empowerment of women and combating violence against women and children (VAWC), along with other forms of abuse and exploitation.

Furthermore, Lapuz expressed optimism about establishing a partnership with the PIA to communicate the Department’s agenda and messages to grassroots levels of society.

“Communication plays a significant role because if we fail to deliver the message to those who need to hear it, we cannot prompt action from them,” Lapuz emphasized.

(el Amigo/MNM)

Image Courtesy of Benjie Cuaresma

By Benjie Cuaresma

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have forged an agreement to vigorously pursue and prosecute individuals involved in vote-buying during the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

JOINT FORCE. Commission on Elections Chairperson George Erwin Garcia (left) and Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla show to the media the copy of their offices entered into, an agreement to go after vote-buyers in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections at the DOJ office in Manila on Monday (Sept. 25, 2023). Remulla said prosecutors nationwide will be on duty to accept complaints on Oct. 30, election day. (Photo by Benjie Cuaresma)

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that prosecutors nationwide will be on standby to receive complaints on election day, October 30.

“The fiscals will be readily available to handle potential cases,” he informed the media during the signing of the “Kontra Bigay” memorandum of agreement at the DOJ office in Manila. He emphasized the importance of having witnesses since many instances of vote-buying involve electronic wallets rather than physical cash transactions.

Remulla clarified that there is no conflict between this initiative and a recent DOJ directive to thoroughly review all charge sheets submitted to prosecutors to ensure that only complaints with a reasonable chance of conviction proceed to court. Complete and substantial sworn statements from witnesses could turn many cases into “open-and-shut” scenarios.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia expressed confidence in the effectiveness of measures such as warrantless arrests for individuals engaged in vote-buying and red-flags such as the transportation of large sums of cash and giveaways as effective deterrents.

To date, Comelec has received 23 complaints related to vote-buying. The practice of “flying voters” (voters transported to different voting areas) has diminished significantly due to the adoption of modern voter identification systems, Garcia added.

The campaign period for the BSKE is set from October 19 to 28.

Following the closure of the candidacy filing period on September 4, Comelec reported a total of 1,414,487 aspirants, comprising 96,962 candidates for punong barangay (village captain), 731,682 for members of the Sangguniang Barangay (village council), 92,774 aspirants for Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) chair, and 493,069 for Sangguniang Kabataan council positions. (ai/mnm)

MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Saturday clarified that the additional documents that may be asked of outbound travelers are not intended to hinder the rights of Filipinos to travel.

At the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said the new departure rules serve as added layers to curb trafficking in person (TIP).

Additional documents would be required if the immigration officer detects “red flags,” hinting that the traveler is a potential human trafficking victim or a perpetrator, Clavano said.

“Iyong ibang additional documents na posibleng hingin, doon lang po hihingin ng immigration officers kapag mayroon nakitang mga red flag – kung nakakaduda po iyong kuwento ng ating mga traveler, kung insufficient po iyong mga document or makikitang peke po iyong mga dokumento (As for the other documents, the only time the immigration officers will ask for them is if they see a red flag – if the response of the traveler is suspicious, if the documents are insufficient or if they detect that the document is fake),” he said.

Still, he advised first-time travelers and overseas workers to prepare the additional documents based on their categories in the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking’s (IACAT) 2023 revised departure guidelines for international-bound Filipino passengers.

“Kapag hindi satisfied iyong immigration officer sa primary inspection, doon ka lang iri-refer sa secondary inspection. Hindi pa po iyon investigation. For further questioning pa iyon para po makita talaga lahat ng dokumento (If the immigration officer is not satisfied during the primary inspection, that’s the time you will be referred for secondary inspection. It’s not an investigation but to allow the officer to see the other documents),” he said.

Clavano said 39,061 passengers were referred for secondary inspection from Jan. 1 to May 15, at least 13,764 of whom had their departures deferred.

He said IACAT did not change the process in the 2023 revised guidelines, particularly with the presentation of required basic travel documents.

Intensified fight vs. TIP

Clavano said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself has given specific instructions to maintain the country’s Tier 1 ranking in the State Department TIP report.

“That means he will support all the facets and all the programs that the IACAT has already put in place and he would like to enhance those programs,” he said.

He said the DOJ gave Marcos a situation report on the severity of human trafficking and he understood “very clearly the depth and how widespread this problem is.”

Aside from issuing the 2023 revised guidelines, the government is working with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through coordination meetings and summits to strengthen cooperation against the transnational crime.

The Philippines was placed under Tier 1 ranking in the 2023 United States TIP report, a status the country has kept for eight consecutive years.

Tier 1, the highest in the three-tier ranking, indicates that a country “fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.” (PNA)