Jinggoy to GMA: "Don't let OFWs get punished for RP officials' sins"

Opposition stalwart Sen. Jinggoy Estrada yesterday challenged the Arroyo administration to immediately act on complaints that Immigration officials have been extorting from Koreans in the country, which became the basis of an order by the Korean embassy in Manila to suspend accepting visa applications of overseas-bound Filipino workers.

Estrada noted the reported confirmation by the Korean embassy's visa section that starting on July 16, the embassy would stop accepting and processing visa applications of overseas Filipino workers as the embassy's retaliation for the government's inaction to its complaints about the alleged extortion activities.

"Our OFWs are about to be punished for a crime committed by officials of this administration, Estrada, who chairs the Senate committee on labor, said adding:

"I am alarmed at the information that these alleged extortion activities victimizing Korean nationals in the country have been going on for a long time already, and that the Korean embassy has brought these to the attention of the government, but still, the government has done nothing about it."

A possible lifting of the suspension of accepting the visa applications, reportedly, would depend on the action of the government on the complaints.

About 200 Filipino workers, mostly seamen and entertainers, apply for working visas with the Korean embassy every day, according to available figures.

"I challenge Mrs. Gloria Arroyo to immediately resolve this issue for the sake of our OFWs who are about to be affected. She should identify and punish those extorting Immigration officials," Estrada said, adding:

"I appeal to the Korean embassy officials not to push through with the suspension on the visa applications of OFWs. These OFWs have nothing to do whatsoever with any extortion activities by Immigration authorities on Koreans in the Philippines ."