CEBU CITY — The National Statistics Office (NSO) 7 is further strengthening its campaign against child trafficking by enforcing strict measures in claiming birth certificates, where only parents and legal guardians are allowed to claim a child’s birth record.

NSO 7 public information officer Noel Rafols said the agency is joining the inter-agency campaign against human and child trafficking in the country by strictly implementing the rules in claiming birth certificates.

He said human traffickers used to get birth certificates easily and then apply for a child’s passport and then bring the child abroad for exploitation. Recently, Rafols said they learned that child traffickers were able to traffic children through the backdoor, bring kids to Malaysia.

Rafols said that at the NSO 7 only the owner of the document, parents, spouse, and legal guardians, can request for a child’s birth certificate. NSO 7 also requires photocopies of identification cards as mandated un¬der Presidential Decree 603 or the Child & Youth Welfare Code.

Rafols said NSO officials are hoping that child trafficking cases are lessened with the strict rules being implemented by NSO.

Cebu officials are seriously going after child traffickers in the province, including those using children in cyber pornography and other illegal activities.

Capitol officials recently were poised to file child trafficking charges against a Swedish national arrested for going out with a nine-year-old Masbate girl in a Cebu City port.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale met with officials of Masbate province and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to build the province’s case against Conny Lagstrem.

She said the BI officials sent her request for a hold-departure order to their central office and were checking on Lagstrem’s background. The latter has managed to post R320,000 bail after he was arrested and charged with child abuse.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/358594/nso-joins-antichild-trafficking-campaign