OFW defends Villafuerte in 'sex-for-flight' scheme

MANILA, Philippines - A distressed Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) from Saudi Arabia defended one of the labor officials there tagged in the alleged "sex-for-flight" scandal.

James Limbaro, an OFW who ran away from his abusive employer, said assistant labor attaché in Riyadh Antonio Villafuerte helped him in his case without asking any favor in return.

The distressed OFW said this is the first time that he heard such complaints against Villafuerte, which he claimed has greatly helped other OFWs as well.

"Si Villafuerte tumutulong agad at walang kapalit," Limbaro said in a radio interview.

The embattled labor official was accused of sexually abusing three distressed female OFWs who had sought his assistance while taking shelter at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh.

Two OFWs identified as Angel and Annaliza said that while at Bahay Kalinga in Riyadh, Villafuerte told them to do part-time jobs as sex workers to raise money for their return flight to the Philippines. They said they rejected his proposal.

Villafuerte has denied the allegations.

He may face dismissal from government service and possibly a long prison term if the charges hurled against him are proven true.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said they are preparing a preliminary investigation on Villafuerte’s case to determine if there is prima facie evidence for the filing of an administrative case against the accused official.

Accusations against Villafuerte surfaced after Akbayan Party-list Rep. Walden Bello first revealed last week that some labor officials in the Middle East allegedly prostituted and sexually expolited distressed OFWs in exchange of a ticket back to the Philippines.

Mario Antonio, assistant labor attaché in Amman, Jordan and one of the officials tagged by Bello, has also denied the allegations.