Magsino

OFW Party List vows to intensify war vs illegal recruiters, traffickers

February 15, 2023 People's Tonight 572 views

OFW Party List, as represented by Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino, held a policy dialogue Wednesday with various officials of government agencies, recruitment agencies, and victims of illegal recruitment and labor trafficking as it vows to intensify the fight against the nefarious practice.

The OFW Party List organized the policy dialogue due to the growing problems of illegal recruitment and human trafficking, particularly labor trafficking, of Filipinos through online modes and multi-country transit points schemes.

Three victims of illegal recruitment who were repatriated from Laos and Myanmar attended the policy dialogue to narrate their harrowing experience in the area dubbed as Golden Triangle. The victims narrated they were approached by recruiters online. They travelled to Laos and Myanmar through Thailand and were then forced to work as scammers by the syndicate running the area, luring potential victims into cryptocurrency. Two of the victims were physically mauled by five men when they expressed their desire to go home. At the time of the physical assault, one of the victims was pregnant. The victims were also electrocuted and starved when they were unable to meet their quota.

Their detailed narratives helped the forum participants identify the administrative and policy gaps in our current systems.

Last January 29, 2023, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) also intercepted seven (7) Filipinos, all female, who were discovered to be hired as utility workers in Iraq. Allegedly, 30 Filipinos were already recruited by illegal recruiters to work in Iraq for the same employer. DFA also repatriated eight Filipinos last February 13, 2023 who were trafficked into Myanmar.

The OFW Party List, with the help of DMW and DFA, likewise repatriated eight distressed OFWs from Laos and one (1) OFW from Indonesia who were victimized by illegal recruiters.

“As the lone representative of the OFW Sector in the 19th Congress, the only female legislator to have represented our OFWs, and the Chairlady of Anti-Trafficking OFW Movement (ATOM), it is incumbent upon me to fight these illegal recruiters and traffickers to the very end. Ang daming kababayan natin ang naloko at naghirap dahil sa matatamis na pangako ng mga illegal recruiters pero kapahamakan ang kinahinatnan nila.”, said Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino.

The dialogue was attended by Rep. Eric Buhain of the 1st District of Batangas, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) led by Asec. Francis Ron De Guzman and Asec. Mario Zinampan; the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) led by Usec. Eduardo De Vega; the Bureau of Immigration led by Atty. Celine Blesilda Valencia; the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC) led by PLTCOL Ma Leah Barrios; the Department of Justice represented by Atty. Ma. Lara Domique Sanchez and Atty. Charisse Castillo; the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) led by Atty. Irvin Garcia, and recruitment and manning agencies. Mr. Ryan Sefiane, Chairman of Sol Terra Group of Companies, also joined the policy dialogue as he was instrumental in the repatriation of Filipinos stranded in Bali, Indonesia who were victimized by online illegal recruiters offering work in Japan.

The OFW lawmaker said the policy dialogue with all allied institutions is a concrete step toward addressing the administrative and policy gaps that may be contributing to the problem. Among the areas of concern identified were the lack of jurisdiction to prosecute illegal recruitment done online and committed overseas, the need for a specific and comprehensive law on illegal recruitment and labor trafficking, the need to reconvene the Presidential Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (PTFAIR), and the need for stronger multi-lateral coordination with foreign authorities in Southeast Asia to counter the transnational nature of the crime.

“Sa mga illegal recruiters, kabahan na kayo kasi hindi naming kayo tatantanan hanggang hindi nasusugpo ang inyong iligal na gawain.”, warned Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino.

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