The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is eyeing a possible implantation of a temporary deployment ban to Saudi Arabia following new reports of abused Filipino workers in the said country.
In an online forum on Wednesday (Sep. 29), DOLE-Information and Publication Service Director Rolly Francia said the recent case of abuse involves 16 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their employer who is a retired military general in Saudi Arabia.
Francia added that two OFWs remain in the quarters of the general while the others have been already repatriated to the Philippines.
“Gusto pong ipaabot ng ating kalihim na kung hindi po maisasaayos ng foreign employers ‘yung kanilang pagpapalaya or extraction mula sa employer na ito ay baka po mapilitan ang ating pamahalaan na muli na namang i-suspend ang deployment sa Saudi Arabia.”
The department hopes that the matter will be solved immediately to avoid the implementation of the deployment ban.
“Inaasahan po natin na sana hindi umabot sa ganyan kaya nakikiusap po ang ating pamahalaan doon sa employers to facilitate ‘yun pong mga pagkuha sa ating natitirang mga kababayan na nandoon sa employer.”
(PTV News)/NGS-rir
