DFA recommends termination of embassy personnel involved in sexual abuse of OFW

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has recommended the termination and recall of embassy personnel who will be found guilty of committing sex abuses against distressed Filipino workers.

As allegations surfaced that "sex-for-fly" schemes and other sexual abuses are being perpetrated by some government personnel posted in Jordan, Kuwait, Syria and Saudi Arabia, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario held consultations with 13 envoys based in the Middle East and North Africa from June 22 to 23.

Del Rosario called the meeting in Manila amid publicized reports that female Filipino workers under the embassy's custody are allegedly being offered immediate repatriation by Philippine labor officers and diplomats assigned in the three embassies in exchange for sex.

The DFA said the meeting's goal was to gather more information on the alleged inappropriate and criminal behavior of certain personnel to validate the accusation and identify preventive and corrective measures. If found guilty those involved will face punitive measures, the DFA said.

During the discussions, Del Rosario, DFA senior officials and the envoys shared their knowledge and insights on present circumstances leading to an assessment of the publicized allegations.

"This resulted in several recommendations that the DFA will take up with other concerned government agencies, including identification of immediate measures such as the termination of local hires and the recall of individuals for investigation," a DFA statement on Sunday said.

In the longer term, the DFA said the recommendations will include a review of the existing rules and standard operating procedures governing the overall management of the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC), which houses the distressed workers – most of whom have ran away from abusive employers.

It also seeks to improve the capacity of these diplomatic missions to effectively handle sex-related offenses, intelligence-gathering, strengthening and tightening of inter-agency cooperation, it said.

The DFA diplomats and officials were also joined by party-list Representative Walden Bello, who exposed last week the alleged sex atrocities against the workers, and the head of the Labor Department's fact-finding team, Atty. Leah Fortuna.

The DFA vowed to coordinate closely with other government agencies and "tirelessly pursue every effort to protect all Filipinos overseas."

The Philippines is one of the world's top labor-exporting nations with about 8.6 million skilled and unskilled workers scattered in various countries abroad, mostly in the Middle East.

Remittances from Filipino migrant workers constitute a significant source of the country's foreign exchange as they send home billions of pesos per year.

A fact-finding unit was separately established by the DFA to look into Bello's allegations. The DFA has also set up a hotline dedicated to receive calls from individuals who may have information or have similar complaints related to this issue.

For tips, complaints and information on alleged sex abuses by embassy staff and officers, the public are urged to contact the DFA at 0928-8363756 or through e-mail at [email protected]. (PNA)