Human trafficking is the contemporary version of old-time slavery. It still involves the master-slave setup, only that it gets updated in the form of syndicated rings-victims. Notwithstanding the modern form, it remains true to its ill motive: to exploit people at their own expense.
Human trafficking operates in order to produce money out of its victims. It transcends national and international borders if only to make maids, industrial workers, or even prostitutes in their slaves. They are made to work, but their salaries go to their traffickers. At times, they work for free, because their traffickers are their own bosses.
Human trafficking denies its victims their basic human rights. Apart from the right to gainful employment, other rights that get violated include those of life, liberty and property, of privacy, of free speech, among others. As such, not to mention their current condition, the victims are treated inhumanely. Their humanity has been stolen, and their abductors are their culprits.
Filipinos are not exempted from this violation. Every year, many Filipino women and children and a few Filipino men are coerced into joining other nationalities from mostly Third World countries in becoming victims of human trafficking. They are forced to perform subhuman labor conditions, form prostitution to sweatshop work to factory employment. They hazard their lives working for employers who give them little or no compensation.
Human trafficking is a serious crime against humanity. Thus, concerted efforts must be done in order to prevent people from getting victimized by syndicates. People must be vigilant so that they will not fall prey to human trafficking rings. They should not hesitate to report this crime to the authorities. Meanwhile, the police should be able to protect the people by employing their full force in order to crush syndicates. When the government and its citizens will cooperate against human trafficking, there is a chance for making this world a less dangerous place to live in.
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