Press Release
May 12, 2006

GORDON LAUDS RELEASE OF SAUDI PRISONERS

"I congratulate the President for getting around700 of our countrymen pardoned by King Abdullah and bringing them back home," said Senator Richard J. Gordon.

"But we must emphasize that we really have to train our people to understand and respect the culture and laws of the countries they travel to. This must be done before they are deployed, and DOLE and POEA must take the lead in this. Dapat gawin 'to para kapag naagrabyadoroon ang mgakababayan natin, alam na nila kung anong mga prosesong dapat sundin," Gordon said.

"More than this, our government has to work out a system with other governments, the United Nations or International Labor Organization so that the complaints of our people can be properly addressed. Kadalasa'y dumarating ang mga kababayan natin sa embahada, at tinutulungan naman sila ng mga consul natin doon na magsampa ng reklamo laban sa mga amo nila, ngunit di naman ito binibigyan pansin ng kabila. It's good that now, in Singapore, complaints by Filipinos and other foreigners are being handled quickly and efficiently. I hope that such a system is already or is being put in place in all the other countries where our people work." Gordon said.

"I am really happy for these the 700, our countrymen, who will finally be able to come home and be reunited with their families. But this provides us another challenge - we have to provide ways by which our people, when they return, are retrained for working again in other countries, or have the skills to find decent jobs here. Kailangan na kung bumalik sila dito, makakahanap sila ng magandang trabaho, o kaya maipasok ang naipon nila sa magandang negosyo."

"Sa ganitong pamamaraan lang natin mapapatunay na talagang inaalagaan natin ang mga kababayan natin - paalis pa lamang, kung naroon na, at sa pagbalik nila."

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