Philippine News Digest 37
19 - 26 September, 2002
Contents:
EU challenged to stop human trafficking
Supreme Court won't stop executions
Deportees from forced to work as bar girls
EU challenged
to stop human trafficking
Renzo Imbeni, vice president of the European Parliament, warned during
the recent EU Conference that trafficking of human beings is an increasingly
widespread phenomenon as a consequence of “untrammeled globalization”.
He added that “combatting the trafficking in human beings is like
fighting terrorism where perpetrators rake billions of Euros from the horrific
trade.” he encouraged all Europeans to live up to their responsibilities. It
is estimated that half a million women and children are brought into the
countries of the European Union each year, many of whom then become sex
slaves. Source: info@crin.org
Supreme
Court won't stop executions
The Philippines' Supreme Court has thrown out the petition of a human
rights lawyers' group seeking to stop the execution of 30 convicts while
Congress debates the death penalty law. The SC declared that the “mere
pendency of a bill in Congress should not per se warrant outright isuance of a
temporary restraining order to stay the execution of a death sentence that has
become final.” The high court instead told the Free Legal Assistance Group
lawyers that “perhaps the remedy lies not in the SC but in the office of the
President to which any plea for reprieve ought to be properly addressed.” Source:
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2002.
Deportees
from forced to work as bar girls
Many Filipino women economically displaced by mass deportation in Malaysia ended up working as guest relations officers in nightclubs in Zamboanga City, Southern Philippines, prompting local health oficials to monitor all nightclubs operating in the area. In another development, at least five Filipino minors accused Malaysian police of rape while in detention. The Philippine government expressed outrage over the allegations calling it as an “act of aggression against civilization itself”. Source: Correspondent reports in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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