MANILA (19
June 2013)- It's not just foreign employers who are abusing overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs). Even Philippine Embassy officials are allegedly involved in the
sexual exploitation of their countrymen- said Party-list Akbayan Representative
Walden Bello.
Bello, who
chairs the House committee on overseas workers' affairs, on Tuesday said three
"predators" from Philippine overseas offices had been the subject of
complaints from their coworkers. He said two of the officials-one a ranking member
of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (Polo) in Amman, Jordan, and the other
a local hire of Polo in Kuwait-were allegedly involved in running sex
operations in Amman, Jordan, and Kuwait that use Filipino women staying at OFW
shelters.
The third
official, who he said was a member of the augmentation team of the Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA) staff in the embassy in Damascus, Syria, allegedly
engaged in sexual acts with OFWs staying at the embassy's shelter for
distressed workers.
Bello claimed
this was apparently part of a scheme-dubbed by some as a
"sex-for-fly" operation-where sexual favours were sought in exchange
for helping an OFW get home to the Philippines.
Full account available at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/77889/legislator-bares-sexual-exploitation-of-filipinas-by-ph-embassy-personnel#ixzz2WomPfxkH