Section 18
SEC. 18. A new Section 17-A is hereby inserted into Republic Act No. 9208, to read as follows: “SEC. 17-A. Temporary Custody of Trafficked Victims. – The rescue of victims should be done as much as possible with the assistance of the DSWD or an accredited NGO that services trafficked victims. A law enforcement officer, on a reasonable suspicion that a person is a victim of any offense defined under this Act including attempted trafficking, shall immediately place that person in the temporary custody of the local social welfare and development office, or any accredited or licensed shelter institution devoted to protecting trafficked persons after the rescue.”