DOLE to deploy female welfare officers in Mideast

In the midst of the "sex for flight" controversy, the Dept. of Labor and Employment will be deploying female welfare officers in different Philippine Overseas Labor Offices abroad, particularly in the Middle East, to attend to the needs of female Overseas Filipino Workers.

With this, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has instructed Overseas Workers Welfare Administration administrator Carmelita Dimzon regarding the deployment of female welfare officers in Riyadh and other countries in the Middle East.

She noted that the female welfare officers will be tasked to oversee the ward and assist them in handling cases.

"More female officers pagdating sa management ng ward and 'yung action officer pag may actual case na na pina-file," Baldoz said.

She added that they would be conducting an inventory to identify how many female welfare officers will be deployed.

At present, there are female welfare officers who are assigned in other parts of Middle East such as Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Jeddah, Dubai and Oman.

Asked if the male welfare officers will be asked to return to the country, Baldoz said, "Not necessarily kasi puede naman ang lead would be the female tapos tutulungan sila ng mga lalaki."

Meanwhile, Baldoz said that they would not wait for the recommendation of three-man investigating panel that would conduct an investigation on the alleged "sex for flight" controversy in Riyadh, Jordan and Saudi Arabia before they would start assessment of the complaints filed against the government official.

"I thought that we can prioritize KSA kasi may complainant. They will proceed as originally planned, uunahin nila yung Jordan and Kuwait," she said.

Baldoz is referring to the accusations of three OFWS against Assistant Labor Attache Antonio Villafuerte who allegedly molested and attempted to prostitutethem.

"Kung pasok na yung tatlong affidavit at makakasubmit si Villafuerte. Puwede na silang magsimula sa pag-assess. Then kapag dating noong galing sa Riyadh at least nauna na. Kung ano available na puwede na nilang simulan. Masisimulan na," she added.

The panel is set to leave for June 29 and expected to come back to the country on July 13.

She clarified that the purpose of the investigation is to determine the administrative liability of the officials.

"The preliminary investigation will determine the prima facie case based on the documents. If there is a case, we will then proceed with the hearing and then come out with the findings and the resolution," Baldoz said.

"We hope to finish everything in two months," she added. (PNA)