Palace revives presidential task force vs illegal recruitment

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has reactivated the Presidential Task Force vs Illegal Recruitment (PTFAIR), to be headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and co-chaired by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Among the members of the PTFAIR are representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Interior and Local Government, the administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Magtanggol Gatdula, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, and the general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority.

Under Executive Order 41, the NBI and the CIDG shall serve as the operational and law enforcement arms of the PTFAIR. They shall operate as a composite team with the POEA, Bureau of Immigration, and other members of the PTFAIR.

The office of the Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch of the POEA shall serve as the secretariat of the PTFAIR, and shall prepare and submit periodic reports to the Office of the President through the PTFAIR chairman.

Aquino revived PTFAIR in light of the continuous recruitment of Filipinos seeking jobs overseas.

Binay heads the government agency that handles the concerns of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

EO 41 allows Binay to recommend to Aquino the inclusion of other members to the PTFAIR as circumstances and exigencies may require.

Funding for PTFAIR will be subject to Aquino’s discretion because he can allocate additional funds for the PTFAIR through the General Appropriations Act.

All other agencies have been tasked to allocate their own funds in helping the agency do its job.

Labor attaché in Kuwait recalled

Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has recalled labor attaché to Kuwait Ofelia Castro Hudson for her alleged involvement in trafficking of Filipino workers.

“We’re just looking for a replacement and allow her to wind things up, but definitely she (Hudson) will be recalled back to Manila,” Baldoz said, adding that DOLE would endorse the human trafficking case against Hudson to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“The allegations of human trafficking would be referred to the DOJ for appropriate action and the DOLE on its own would be looking into possible administrative sanctions against her,” she said.

The Philippine embassy in Kuwait is already getting sworn testimonies from the accusers of Hudson to be used in the investigation and filing of charges against her, Baldoz said.

Hudson was accused of “selling” distressed OFWs to recruitment agencies in Kuwait.

John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said the “act of transferring an OFW from one employer to another in exchange of money or gifts is essentially human smuggling or trafficking punishable under the Migrant Workers Act.”

“The accusation, especially coming from distressed OFWs themselves, must be heard and investigated,” he said.

“This is not the first time we have heard such reports. It is highly illegal and immoral and condemnable if the person committing such act is an embassy or labor official, who is duty-bound to protect our distressed OFWs who have no other choice than to abscond from the abuses of their employers.” – With Mayen Jaymalin, Jose Rodel Clapano