TO beef up City Hall’s campaign against child trafficking, Councilor Desiree Ann M. Dahino called for a review of Ordinance No. 13394 or the City’s Comprehensive Children’s Welfare Code of 2018, during Monday’s (Sept. 1) regular afternoon session of the 21st City Council.

 

Councilor Dahino, chairperson of the Women and Family Relations Committee, said she was compelled to call for the review of the ordinance after personally witnessing a recent case of suspected child trafficking in the city.

 

She lamented about the weak enforcement of existing laws, lack of real-time rescue protocols, and poor monitoring in transport terminals that she said left children more vulnerable to exploitation.

 

Dahino proposed measures that include establishing a Child Extraction and Response Protocol (CERP), Terminal and Transport Safeguards, Community Search and Rescue Alerts (CSAR) and the introduction of a Public Child Protection Scorecard.

 

Vice Mayor Jocelyn 'Bebot' Rodriguez supported the review that will involve the City Council’s committees on Women and Family Relations, Social Services, Tourism and Sister City Relations, Barangay Affairs and Public Order and Safety. (MDS/CIO/Photos by: Jomar Figuracion /CIO)