DOJ and the IACAT attend the RSO Balui Process Regional Meeting on Countering People Smuggling and Related Transnational Crimes　

The Department of Justice - Philippines (DOJ) and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) lead the Philippine delegation to the RSO Bali Process Regional Meeting on Countering People Smuggling and Related Transnational Crimes held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 27-28, 2025.

The event was attended by senior government officials from ASEAN and Bali Process member states to align regional efforts in addressing people smuggling and foster a unified and effective regional response to these pressing issues. International partners, international organizations and subject matter experts were also invited and participated in the event as presenters, panelists and facilitators.

With support from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines, the Philippine Delegation, headed by DOJ Assistant Secretary Eliseo Cruz, emphasized the importance of imposing sanctions on erring public officials from law enforcement units who are involved in facilitating crimes such as people smuggling and trafficking.

Ms. Ann Camille Mina of the Bureau of Immigration, Republic of the Philippines delivered the Country Presentation for the Philippines giving a migration overview and landscape and highlighting ongoing efforts of the country.

IACAT OIC-Executive Director Hannah Lizette S. Manalili sat as a subject matter expert and panelist to discuss how countries could strengthen policy and legal framework to effectively combat people smuggling and other transnational crimes including trafficking in persons.

"As a predominantly source country of migrant workers that experienced an unprecedented shift into becoming a destination country, we are guided by a humanitarian approach even in the absence of existing policies and frameworks — to treat migrants and victims with dignity and respect, and to continuously revisit and adapt our approaches to evolving trends," OIC-Executive Director Manalili emphasized.

In the course of the event, the RSO Bali Process and the UNODC highlighted and lauded the Philippines' relentless efforts to combat smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons facilitated by corruption, highlighting the IACAT's approval of the Anti-Corruption Guidelines and filing of cases against public officials who facilitate these crimes.