Press Release
January 28, 2020

Transcript of interview

ON TOTAL DEPLOYMENT BAN

Unang una gusto po nating ibalita sa ating mga kababayan yung tungkol po doon sa total deployment ban duon sa bansang Kuwait at sinusuporahan po natin ang move ng Department of Labor and Employment dito as issued by the POEA governing board.

Ito po ay titigil na sa kahit na anong trabaho na inaapplyan ngayon duon po sa bansang Kuwait ngunit yung may mga OEC na or may Overseas Employment Certificate, they are free to go, yuon pong mga balik mangagawa ay exempted po sila dito. Tungkol naman po sa whether or not gagawin na talaga itong temporary banning of hsw hindi pa po makadecide and Dept. of Labor, POEA, and OWWA pero pinagaaralan po nila ito.

Kung tayo po ang tatanugin sa ating mga nakalipas na pagdinig lalo na sa pagdinig natin nngayon lao na sa bansang Kuwait na kung saan laganap yung Kafala system, the data 3 or 4 years data of welfare cases nag aaverage sila ng 3 or 5000 welfare cases. Nung napirmahan yung MOU, bumaba sila ng 1000 plus but still the 1000 plus welfare cases hindi natin pwede ipagkibit balikat, kasama na po jan for instance in the past years about 60 or 55 rape case, hindi naman po natin ito pwedeng ipagkibit balikat kaya I think, pati na po ang ilan sa ating mga kasamahan sa Senado ay may strong conviction and strong conservation na magpadala pa tayo ng mga household workers sa mga bansa na kagaya ng kuwait na kung saan laganap at talamak ang abuse, violations na nangyayari, maging physical maltreatment

Q: Do you share the same sentiment?

I do share that sentiment, I would still push for it as mentioned a while ago with Sec bello. Pagaralan natin kasi mukhang sa Asia tayo nalang ang nagapapadala ng mga household service worker depsite the fact na paulit ulit na lang natin naririnig yung kay Demafelis, Constancia, Dayag, ngayon kay Jeanalyn Villavende, parepareho po naabuso at sinaktan at pinatay pare-pareho po yung salita na yun paulit -ulit po; ang napapalitan lang po yung pangalan ng Pilipino. If that is the case, we really have to do something about it. Para posa atin ito po at preliminary na pagtingin natin bilang hepe ng Committee on Labor, EMploymet, and Human Resource Development, mukhang hindi na po makatarungan at maayos na magpadala ng household service worker sa bansang Kuwait

ON OFW BAN IN KUWAIT

Q: So it can be done outright?

Well, right now, right now is a total deployment ban. But we have HSW's out there right now. Now we need to protect them as well. So, yung transition ay dapat simulan na, even NEDA Usec kanina sinasabi niya na data suggest na ito dapat ang tahakin natin in the near future.

I think even the President share the vision and dream na balang araw di na tayo nagpapadala but this time I think it's very urgent na itigil natin yung pagaadala ng household service worker sa mga bansa na kagaya ng Kuwait

Q: I'm sorry, just to clarify the ban that you are pushing for is just for household service workers?

Yes. For household service workers in countries and again, I'm not just only talking about Kuwait but let's also analyze and evaluate this countries na pinagpapadalahan natin ng HSWs-- na ano ba yung record nila because in Kuwait parang masyadong kumbinsido na ko na hindi na dapat .

Q: Sir, why limited to household service?

Because yung mga household service workers , una yung kultura ng kafala system No. kapag binayaran ng employer yung service fee ang nagiging dating sa kanila nagiging commodity ang ating mga kababayan.

We have heard several times and this is not the first time that we have heard yuong kinukulong sa kwarto, kinukulong sa bahay, wala sa kanila ung passport. Si Jeanalyn nung tinatawagan, hindi makausap ng pamilya niya

These are basic rights na daapat ay meron at ineenjoy ng ating mga kababayan. Hindi po sila commodity, hindi din sila alipin at lalong hindi sila praktisan ng mga abusadong employer na kapag gusto nilang pumatay ay gagawin na lamang nila. Masyado pong karumaldumal ung nangyari kay Jeanalyn. In fact we were supposed to have an executive session dahil duon saa mga binbanggit na findings ng NBI duon sa autopsy pero kanina habang nagsaslaita palang yung NBI medico-legal expert, eh hindi na namin nakayanan, kaya we requested, kaming mga senador na baka pupwedeng i-generalize na lang dahil we already have an idea of what really transpired or what happened to the body of Jeanalyn at hindi po ito katanggap tanggap

Q: DOLE can issue a Department Order?

Well, we can do that. But we can also go to siguro ang pinakamabillis is for the Department of Labor and Employment to recommend the banning of sending our HSWs in countries like Kuwait

Department order. I think so. Yes, yes. Yes, it doesn't also stop us from legislating which is also an option

NO WORK AVAILABLE FOR FILIPINOS

That is definitely the bottom line of all this.

Yung mga nakakalungkot na istorya ng ating mga kababayan sa ibang bansa laging ganon, laging walang choice. Yung mga kababayan nga natin sa Iraq, duon northern Iraq.

Northern part ng Erbil sa Northern part ng Baghdad. Ayaw nila umuwi kahit Alert level 4 sapagkat they feel na safe sila doon. Wala silang nararamdaman, wala silang naririnig na putukan ng mga kanyon or ng mga misiles,pero alert lever 4 na. So far, how many have been repatriated? Una 13, ngayon parang 20 plus na daw but you're talking about 1600 plus Filipinos in Iraq alone. So, bottom line is create more opportunities here. NEDA the also made mention about it we have to continue working on our sectors and our industries industries that are sustainable di gaya ng POGO

So ito yung mga bagay na kailangan talaga natin pagtuunan ng pansin -integration, paano natin sila pauuwiin,pababalikin dito sa Pilipinas kung ang ibibigay natin for example, if you're not an OWWA or inactive or active member, ang ibibigay lang sayo ay non-financial help assistance in society and say oh, bibigyan ka ng scholarship etc.

And I've been there now, and I am no longer surprised of these figures almost zero to none ang kumukuha nito sapagkat magaaral pa ko, I have mouths to feed. So these are the things na kailangan natin pagtuunan ng pansin. We were also able to tackle the idea of, for example, if they're already there in in another country, they can also integrate yuong mga potential jobs available in other countries na hindi na nila kinakailangan umuwi dito sa Pilipinas, at duon palang maprocess na,mapaficilate na at ito ay kayang kayang gawin kung ito ay direct hire. We just wanted to make sure that POEA is there to ensure their safety.

Ito yung mga bagay na lumabas kanina sa hearing at hindi pa naman tapos. We will call another hearing. Sapagkat may mga gusto pa tayong iclarify for example, yuong pagsususpend duon sa mga recruitment agencies,yung issue din itong blood money na nakakalungkot na nakita natin sa social media yuong bali-balita which the DFA kanina which according to USec Arriola, na hindi niya kilala yung taong binabanggit

As we speak right now I have to tell you that the family of Jeanelyn is here. I personally did not invite them in the committee hearing for obvious reasons I know that they are still mourning, at ayaw natin silang... mabigat eh kanina medyo mabigat yung mga...

Imagine kung ipapakita yung mga medico legal na autopsy report medyo napaka bigat but we wanted to ask from them information other than pakikiramay sa kanila kung totoo man ito na napaka insentive ng ating pmahalaan na ag offer ng blood money during the time na ihahatid na sa huling hantungan si Jeanelyn

ON BLOOD MONEY AND DFA EMPLOYEES

Yes, it was mentioned that DFA po, but the DFA USec made mention that she doesn't know about the particular person and she will look into it. POEA and other officials of the different government agencies promise me and committed to me that they will look into it na baka mamaya meron din sIlang government employees na lumalapit at lumalakad para dito sa blood money na ito. Itong blood money na ito sampal sa ating lahat ito. Blood Money para huwag na i-pursue yung case

Another information perhaps that you are also interested in, is the fact that the couple has already been charged with murder. They're being detained right now I think on Friday sila Sec Bello, Admin Hans ng OWWA and Admin Olalia of POEA will go there and check on it. And lahat kami kanina sa usapan on the sides, we are all fired up para sa kaso na ito and we want the death penalty sa mga salarin na ito.

ON AUTOPSY

That's a very good good issue to talk about.

Yung first na nilabas parang death certificate, but it's not really a death certificate. It's like a report na namatay, na parang natural death etc and according to Secretary Bello this prompted him to request for another autopsy in the Philippines with the NBI dahil hindi siya naniniwala and he believes that there is some sort of cover up. Ngayon lumabas na yung autopsy report ng NBI na medyo detalyado at mahirap pa i-share at this time pero talagang klarong-klaro yung pangaabuso na tinuring n parang animal yung kababayan natin medyo ... Talagang bilang Pilipino nakakanginig sa galit no yung sinapit ng ating kababayan. And just recently, the interior government of Kuwait issued this autopsy report. SO, may autopsy report na din sila na sinubmit sa atin ng Department of Labor and Employmet sa ating committee at gusto din nating ipakta itong autopsy report na ito ng Kuwaiti Government duon sa nagconduct ng autopsy sa NBI natin to compare dahil kanina first time lang naming makita itong mga dokumento na ito. We'll look into it.

Yung blood money thank God hindi tinatanggap ng pamilya ni Jeanelyn. We wanted to send the strongest message possible to the whole world na di nila tayo pag-aari ; na ang PIlipino hindi nila pagaari.

ON ALTERNATIVE DESTINATION

They're looking into it we talked about it and figure out and list down all these host countries like for instance, if you talk about household service workers in Kuwait, they have to pay for some 3200 US dollars at least know there are some figures higher for every service fee that they would have to pay nung employer kaya ang dating sa kanila, parangkanila na ito.

Hindi na din bago satin na ilang buwan hindi nakakasweldo yung OFWs because of this system.

But if you go to for example, Singapore wala eh, wala itong service fee na ito. So ilan lamang ito sa mga nakikita natin na kung magiging proactive ang mga ahensya ng ating pmahalaan and figure out saan safe ang taing mga kabababayan, saan may opportunity.

At alam natin na the best pa rin, at uulit ulitin ko to na the best scenario is that we create opportunities here in the country, and that's why we have been doing our part here in the Senate. Every time may nanakawan ng trabaho na Pilipino ng banyaga, nagsasalita tayo at binabantayan natin. Dahil importante sa atin yung paglikha at pag-gawa ng trabaho dito sa ating bayan.

ON KUWAIT AUTOPSY:

Hindi ko pa totally nabasa. I got a chance to scan it. Meron na duon nakalagay na mga nakakagimbal na mga pangyayri for example yung pagpalo ng plantsa sa ulo. Paggamit ng wooden spoon na. etc.. meron na po dun as for the comparison, we will wait for NBI medico legal to comment on this document.

Ngayon lang, ngayon lang Nakita. We just scanned it.But the things we mentioned ay yung ilang bagay na nakita. We'll see, we'll call another hearing.

ON BANNING CHINESE FROM WUHAN

Kung ang mismong bansang China, nila-lockdown nila ang kanilang bansa ang kanilang syudad. Di ba parang 1 plus 1 ang tingin ko jan. and nakakagimbal na minsan makakarinig ka ng ibatibang balita, some of them are fake news but some of them are real news and everytime the na wala pa naman na natatala na confirmed and thank god a wala pa nga but it doesn't also mean na wala pa dito eh.

So mas maganda pa din na nagiingat tao, preventive a din at ung ano man yunghkabangin na pweeng gawin ng amahalaan ara masiguro na protektado tayo lahat dito then lets do it.

I just got the report this morning, froma radio station na 800 yung nagembark dito sa maynila i think my information is as good as your po

If a certain individual comes from Wuhan parang I think red flag na po yun eh, that one na wag na muna

Kug Pinoy po sila na nasa Wuhan, di rin po sila makakuwe dahil nakalock down po yung city.

Pangalawa,as part of our protecting the people here baka di rin po natin sila ineencourgae na uuwe sila dito

Pangatlo, binanggit natin kanina, nung time na i forgot what virus it was. Nung umuwe yung mga pilipino, dinala muna sa isang isla sa Corregidor at duon muna sila naka quarantine.

It's important to protect the greater majority.

Gawin din. We strongly advise the interagency heading this task fore na iimplement din po ito.

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