Dahino warns of trafficking threat after Patag child case

“EVERY moment lost may mean that a child is lost forever.”

This was the urgent reminder of Councilor Desiree Ann M. Dahino in her special report on child trafficking, during the recent session of the 21^st City Council.

Dahino, chair the committee on women and family relations, cited an incident involving a child from Barangay Patag who was reportedly lured by a stranger with a fake job offer and brought to Bacolod City.

Despite prompt and coordinated efforts of barangay officials, law enforcement agencies, and the child’s father—who traveled personally to search for him—the child remains missing.

“It happened in broad daylight. That’s how real and close this threat is,” Dahino emphasized, underscoring the vulnerability of children and the impudence of traffickers.

While acknowledging existing laws and interventions, she warned of gaps in enforcement and implementation.

She called for stronger safeguards particularly, clearer Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) to ensure that laws act as a “real shield” for children, not merely “words on paper.”

Dahino urged the council to close the loopholes and chokepoints traffickers’ exploit.

To address these challenges, she proposed a review and amendment of the city’s Comprehensive Children’s Welfare Code and its IRR to institutionalize timely and responsive measures.

She also moved for the creation of a Child Extraction and Response Protocol, stronger terminal and transport safeguards, Community Search and Rescue Alerts, and a Public Child Protection Scorecard.

In addition, she pushed for mandatory but flexible community-based verification systems in transport terminals to help prevent child trafficking at points of transit.

Councilor Dahino's report was referred to the committees on women and family relations, social services, tourism, public order and safety, and barangay affairs for further deliberation. (SPE/SP)