Front facade of the building of the House of Representatives. (Photo courtesy of the House of Representatives)
MANILA, Philippines – A bill has been filed in the House of Representatives calling on the appropriate committee to investigate the secret trade in human organs, following the recent arrest of three individuals allegedly involved in the sale of kidneys in Bulacan.
AGRI party representative Wilbert Lee filed bill HB 1803 on Thursday afternoon, in which he calls for a stricter approach to the illegal sale of human organs and for strict implementation of existing laws to prevent risks to public health and safety.
“Many kidney donors, especially those from vulnerable communities such as slums, are often unaware of the risks and side effects of the surgery,” Lee said in a press release on Friday.
“Sinasamantala ng mga ganitong modus ang mahihirap nating kababayan, lalo na ang mga gipit at desperado, nang kumita para may pantustos sa pangangailangan ng pamilya (This modus operandi takes advantage of our poor countrymen, especially the needy and desperate, to make money in order to supporting the needs of their family),” he said.
He also expressed concern about the alleged involvement of medical professionals in this illegal practice.
Lee pointed out that the illegal practice of selling kidneys and other internal organs targets poor Filipinos and violates existing laws, particularly the Organ Donation Act of 1991 and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.
He said the operation in Bulacan, in which nine rescued victims were reportedly lured with P200,000 in exchange for their kidneys, may be just the tip of the iceberg.
According to him, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the Philippines as one of the global hotspots for organ trafficking, along with India, Pakistan, China, Egypt and Colombia.
Lee said a thorough investigation is needed to tackle this exploitative trade and protect the welfare and safety of the general public.
He added that government policies on organ donation should be reviewed to prevent such risky and illegal transactions.
