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destination country for cross-border trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation
and forced labour. The Committee regrets the very limited number of cases of filing,
prosecution, and conviction of perpetrators of trafficking with many of those cases being
dismissed at preliminary stages. (arts. 2, 12 and 16)
The State party should take all necessary measures to implement the current laws
combating trafficking and provide protection for victims and their access to
medical, social rehabilitative and legal services, including counselling services, as
appropriate. The State party should also create adequate conditions for victims to
exercise their right to make complaints, conduct prompt, impartial and effective
investigation into all allegations of trafficking and ensure that perpetrators are
brought to justice and punished with penalties appropriate to the nature of their
crimes.
Data collection
27.
The Committee regrets the absence of comprehensive and disaggregated data on
complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and ill-treatment by
law enforcement and military personnel, as well as on extrajudicial killings, enforced
disappearances, trafficking and domestic and sexual violence. The Committee takes note of the
statement in the report that “a statistical presentation of action done on complaints related to acts
of torture is hampered by the absence of a law specifically defining torture.”(arts. 12 and 13)
The State party should compile statistical data relevant to the monitoring of the
implementation of the Convention at the national level, including data on
complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and illtreatment, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, trafficking and domestic
and sexual violence as well as on redress, including compensation and rehabilitation
provided to the victims.
28.
While welcoming the various efforts by the State party towards its ratification of the
Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), the Committee encourages the State party to consider
ratifying the Optional Protocol as soon as possible.
29.
The Committee recommends that the State party consider making the declarations under
articles 21 and 22 of the Convention.
30.
While noting that the State party has ratified all the core United Nations human rights
treaties currently in force, the Committee invites the State party to ratify the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
31.
The Committee invites the State party to submit its core document in accordance with the
requirements of the common core document in the harmonized guidelines on reporting, as
approved by the international human rights treaty bodies and contained in document
HRI/GEN/2/Rev.5.
32.
The State party is encouraged to disseminate widely the reports submitted by the
Philippines to the Committee and the concluding observations, in appropriate languages, through
official websites, the media and non-governmental organizations.