The Provincial Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking passed a resolution, to request the Executive Judge in the Province to assign a specific court for the expeditious issuance of search warrants for cases involving trafficking in persons, approved the plan to form a Municipal Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking, and a trust fund for law enforcers handling cases involving trafficking in persons.

These were taken up during their first quarter meeting Wednesday at the Sangguniang Session Hall of Negros Oriental.

The PIACAT aired concerns over their difficulties in acquiring search warrants and in the handling of victims during the prosecution of cases.

Senior Inspector Rosalinda Abellon said she observed delays in the issuance of the search warrants, since the application has to be raffled through various Regional Trial Courts. This often causes the law enforcers to lose the opportunity to make immediate arrests of perpetrators, she added.

Abellon cited the recent raid of an alleged cyber sex den in Bayawan City where they rescued five minors.

Cecile Hoffman, of the G-WAVE, also said process is different from the one adopted in the processing of search warrants for illegal drugs.

The PIACAT will form the committee in identified hot spots for trafficking in persons in the province. These include Bayawan City, Santa Catalina, Siaton, Zamboanguita, Dumaguete City, San Jose Amlan, Mabinay and Guihulngan City.

It will also ask the Sangguniang Bayan and the Sangguniang Panlungsod for support, through an ordinance, and are targeting May as the deadline for sitting up the MIACAT in the local government units.

The PIACAT is composed of representatives from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, Maritime Police, and the Prosecution Office, among others. It is chaired by Gov. Emilio Macias II.*MA

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