Press Release
November 19, 2007

Villar seeks inquiry on condition of detained OFWs

With more and more Filipinos incarcerated around the world, Senate President Manny Villar today filed a resolution urging the Senate to conduct an inquiry on the present condition of Filipinos detained overseas.

Proposed Resolution No. 189 urges the Committee on Labor and Employment and Foreign Relations to conduct an urgent omnibus inquiry on the plight of detained Filipino workers in various countries in order to formulate remedial measure and devise a package of assistance to protect OFWs.

"An assessment of the legal and social remedies being afforded by our embassies and consular offices to our kababayan detained abroad for various offenses is imperative to ascertain sufficiency of assistance for the protection of OFWs," Villar said.

In his recent visit to the Middle East, Villar learned that more than 5,000 Filipinos are in prison for various cases of alleged small thefts, violations of illegal entry and similar immigration laws and some criminal cases which are all basically an "act of self-defense" in such countries as Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

The Nacionalista Party president added that a number of Filipinos are victims of internal rebellion and civil strife as documented in countries such as Nigeria and Iraq.

"In Iraq, OFW smuggling has been rampant despite a standing deployment ban. In Saudi Arabia, the practice of "sawary," in which OFWs are lured to work there through the use of exit visa is widespread. In Hongkong, Japan, Macau and Dubai, there are a number of illegally recruited women and men which ended up working in red light zones and prostitution. There are also allegations that school teachers from the Philippines are being illegally 'imported' to the United States," he said.

"The government must exert effort to assist OFWs, whose dollar remittances have kept our economy afloat, from being subjected to painful ignominy, harsh and deplorable treatment," he said.

Villar said during the first half of 2007, the remittances of OFWs coursed through banking institutions alone totaled $7 billion, 18.1 percent higher than the level recorded in the same period last year.

When he was chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Villar worked for the repatriation of a number of OFWs in distress. He also sought for investigations into the deaths of Filipino workers abroad.

"A comprehensive strategy that will strengthen legal assistance being provided by our attaches and other legal and social remedies provided by our foreign service officials must be made including coordination efforts with various governments of other countries," the Senate president said.

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