MANILA, Philippines - The United States has committed it will not cut the millions of dollars it is pouring into the country to fight human trafficking.

In an interview on ANC’s Headstart on Thursday, US Ambassador Harry Thomas, Jr. said “we know that’s not going to happen because everybody here is going to help us end this. We need more prosecutions though, successful prosecutions of traffickers.”

Despite being again on the US State Department’s tier 2 watch list “that is a risk to the aid we give,” Thomas said the Philippines is still doing its part of ending the problem.

Last June, the US placed the country in its tier 2 watch list because the number of victims is “very significant or is significantly increasing” or there is no significant effort to meet the standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

“We know it’s not [cut the aid], because your wonderful new president has promised he will help us end this,” Thomas said.

The US has already poured in about a quarter of a billion dollars in the fight against human trafficking, he said.

“Many organizations are working to end the scourge of trafficking in persons. However, it’s been a challenge to have people successfully prosecuted and convicted,” he said.

He said the US is offering the services of an attorney “to help work with the justice ministry, if they would like to partner on this.”

Thomas said “it’s up to the justice ministry. After all, we’re guests here. If they would like that type of assistance, we’ll go there.”