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Pinoy Abroad
DFA chief kept in dark on sex rings at PHL embassies
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(UPDATED 12 p.m.) - Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario on Thursday said he was initially unaware of reports of prostitution rings allegedly operated by Philippine embassy staffers, despite purported knowledge of senior foreign officials that nefarious practices had been going on.
“No, I must admit it's the first time I've heard of it,” Del Rosario said when “News to Go” anchor Howie Severino asked on Thursday morning if he had previous knowledge about the issue.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello on Tuesday alleged that sex rings have existed for years at several embassies in the Middle East.
He added that more recently, three Philippine embassy and labor officials in particular have been actively selling the sexual services of female overseas Filipino workers under the guardianship of the embassy, some for US$1000 for a few hours in the middle of the night.
Del Rosario vowed a thorough investigation and the creation of a special hotline for victims so they can contact the DFA officials directly about their experiences of being abused.
“Their conversations and interactions with us will be held confidential and we will commit ourselves to protecting them,” Del Rosario said.
Del Rosario also summoned to Manila the heads of Philippine posts in Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria to help shed light on allegations.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers' affairs, said three Philippine embassy and labor officials in the Middle East have been accused of sexually abusing (OFWs) in exchange for repatriation.
These alleged cases of exploitation were uncovered when Bello's committee investigated the reported "sex-for-flight" activities where overseas Pinays were allegedly offered repatriation by officials in exchange for sex.
However, Bello also admitted that he has yet to talk to any victims of the alleged overseas sex rings.
Special investigating body
Meanwhile, in a press briefing on Thursday, Bello expressed a desire for a special investigating body to be formed by President Aquino, to look into the matters of sexual exploitation of Pinays in several Arab countries.
“What I want is a Presidential Investigating Body, to include also Qatar and the UAE, and maybe eventually more Arab countries,” Bello said. He added that his contacts within the DFA and the DOLE are not confident that an investigation run by DOLE will be impartial.
Bello, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers' affairs, said the two identified mid- to senior level personnel were from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jordan and Kuwait.
“The impression that I got [from my informants] is that they are not comfortable speaking at an investigation that will be conducted by the DOLE. There are reservations from DOLE informants. Pag DOLE ang mag-investigate, ang sense nila hindi sila confident, baka hindi sila magsalita,” Bello told GMA News Online, following his closed-door meeting with some members of the DOLE.
Bello said he might forward the request to Malacañang to intervene in setting up an investigating team.
“Ang request sa Malacañang, isa na lang ang investigation, since subordinate naman ang DOLE at DFA sa kanila,” he said.
Bello also spoke about his meeting with DOLE officials, where he clarified several issues.
“The mood was okay. I was confrontational at the start, noting that [what one of the accused has been saying] are lies, na pakulo lang ng mga illegal recruiters yung issue. I told them that they should not be reporting that,” Bello said.
For its part, the DOLE has assured the public that there will be no cover-up in their investigation.
Acting Labor Secretary Rebecca Chato spoke to reporters after the closed-door meeting with Bello to say that the public can expect results in two weeks, and that OFW victims will be given protection.
Chato also said the department remains committed to cleaning up its ranks.
Envoys recalled
The DFA chief also said he recalled several ambassadors to help shed light on the accusations.
“We expect them soon. At the same time, we've also asked the heads of the posts in Syria, Kuwait and Jordan to come back to be able to shed light on the investigation that we hope to start soon,” he said.
Del Rosario added that two of the accused officials have been asked to return to the Philippines on Wednesday while the other is already in the country.
He disclosed that one of the returning officials is from the DFA while the other one works for the DOLE.
He added that the heads of those embassies may be held accountable for their subordinates if proven that they had knowledge on the actions of the erring officials.
“Hopefully we will come to an objective conclusion on it,” Del Rosario said.
No complaints yet
Meanwhile, Del Rosario explained that currently there are no official complaints lodged against the accused officials.
However, he noted that there are verbal complaints against them which will be investigated.
“We would like to get the cooperation of all sectors to be able to help us in finding these people who may be able to shed light on what really is going on,” Del Rosario said.
He also clarified that people who have witnessed the abuses may also file a complaint.
“If you have witnessed these incidents then we urge you to come forward,” Del Rosario said.
Labor exec's denial
One of those Bello named, labor official Mario Antonio who is assigned to the embassy in Amman, Jordan, countered in an interview on dzBB that the information being fed to Bello about him came from human traffickers and illegal recruiters.
Bello reiterated that his sources were unnamed DFA and DOLE officials who are upright and only desired to weed out nefarious practices in Philippine overseas posts.
Antonio also faced reporters at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration office, where he denied the accusations against him.
In an interview with radio dzBB's Glen Juego on Thursday morning, Antonio said he has had a long stint as a labor attache, with no derogatory record.
A day before, he said in another interview on dzBB radio he could have been linked to the mess because he had defended the rights of overseas Filipino workers.
"Yan ay hindi makatotohanan. 'Yan ay siguro dala yan ng salita ng recruitment agency at trafficker sa pagtanggol natin ng mga OFW," he said on Wednesday. He also said he was surprised over the allegations.
Antonio was one of three Philippine officials linked by Rep. Walden Bello to the supposed exploitation of distressed OFWs in the Philippine shelter in Amman.
Malacañang has ordered an investigation into the matter.
P1 budget
In a press release on Thursday, acting Senate President Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said he will work for a P1 budget for the DFA and the DOLE should they fail to resolve this case with dispatch and to punish unscrupulous Filipino diplomats involved in the scandal.
Estrada, chairman of the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development and Congressional Oversight Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, said the "officials found guilty of this heinous offense must be immediately put behind bars and slapped with administrative sanctions, including perpetual disqualification from public office."
“Gaya marahil ng mga nakarinig ng istoryang ito, ako ay nanggagalaiti sa galit nang aking malaman na ang ilang opisyal ng ating embahada at POLO ay nakuha pang pagkakitaan ang kalunos-lunos na sinapit ng ating mga kababayang OFW," Estrada said.
"Sila na tinatakbuhan ng mga OFW at inaasahang magtatanggol sa kanilang karapatan at kapakanan ang siya palang magsasamantala sa kanila,” he added.
Violence against women
In a news release on Thursday, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) condemned "sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and other forms of violence against women (VAW)" and said it "warrants proper action to Philippine officials who may be involved in the alleged “sex-for-fly” activities in the Middle East."
"Rape and human trafficking are serious crimes and are contrary to the principles of respect and human dignity. Both can cause serious physical, emotional and psychological pains. PCW finds it disturbing that some Philippine officials in the Middle East are said to be among the perpetrators of human trafficking, prostitution and VAW," the group noted.
The PCW said traffickers and VAW perpetrators should be held accountable. "We need to send clear, unambiguous signals to embassy and labor officials that they cannot impose false authority over OFWs asking for help," the group said. – with a report from Andrei Medina/VVP/KG/HS, GMA News
At a press conference at the OWWA in Pasay City on Thursday, June 20, acting assistant Labor attache to Jordan, Mario Antonio (left), denies accusations that he was part of an alleged sex ring victimizing female overseas Filipino workers. Other Philippine embassy officials in the Middle East have also been accused by Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello as having a hand in running the sex ring. Photo by Danny Pata.
He added that more recently, three Philippine embassy and labor officials in particular have been actively selling the sexual services of female overseas Filipino workers under the guardianship of the embassy, some for US$1000 for a few hours in the middle of the night.
Del Rosario vowed a thorough investigation and the creation of a special hotline for victims so they can contact the DFA officials directly about their experiences of being abused.
“Their conversations and interactions with us will be held confidential and we will commit ourselves to protecting them,” Del Rosario said.
Del Rosario also summoned to Manila the heads of Philippine posts in Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria to help shed light on allegations.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers' affairs, said three Philippine embassy and labor officials in the Middle East have been accused of sexually abusing (OFWs) in exchange for repatriation.
These alleged cases of exploitation were uncovered when Bello's committee investigated the reported "sex-for-flight" activities where overseas Pinays were allegedly offered repatriation by officials in exchange for sex.
In a separate interview on GMA News TV on Thursday, Bello revealed that the sources of his allegations were DFA and labor department officials in Manila, some of whom held senior positions.
Special investigating body
Meanwhile, in a press briefing on Thursday, Bello expressed a desire for a special investigating body to be formed by President Aquino, to look into the matters of sexual exploitation of Pinays in several Arab countries.
“What I want is a Presidential Investigating Body, to include also Qatar and the UAE, and maybe eventually more Arab countries,” Bello said. He added that his contacts within the DFA and the DOLE are not confident that an investigation run by DOLE will be impartial.
Bello, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers' affairs, said the two identified mid- to senior level personnel were from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jordan and Kuwait.
“The impression that I got [from my informants] is that they are not comfortable speaking at an investigation that will be conducted by the DOLE. There are reservations from DOLE informants. Pag DOLE ang mag-investigate, ang sense nila hindi sila confident, baka hindi sila magsalita,” Bello told GMA News Online, following his closed-door meeting with some members of the DOLE.
Bello said he might forward the request to Malacañang to intervene in setting up an investigating team.
“Ang request sa Malacañang, isa na lang ang investigation, since subordinate naman ang DOLE at DFA sa kanila,” he said.
Bello also spoke about his meeting with DOLE officials, where he clarified several issues.
“The mood was okay. I was confrontational at the start, noting that [what one of the accused has been saying] are lies, na pakulo lang ng mga illegal recruiters yung issue. I told them that they should not be reporting that,” Bello said.
For its part, the DOLE has assured the public that there will be no cover-up in their investigation.
Acting Labor Secretary Rebecca Chato spoke to reporters after the closed-door meeting with Bello to say that the public can expect results in two weeks, and that OFW victims will be given protection.
Chato also said the department remains committed to cleaning up its ranks.
Envoys recalled
The DFA chief also said he recalled several ambassadors to help shed light on the accusations.
“We expect them soon. At the same time, we've also asked the heads of the posts in Syria, Kuwait and Jordan to come back to be able to shed light on the investigation that we hope to start soon,” he said.
Del Rosario added that two of the accused officials have been asked to return to the Philippines on Wednesday while the other is already in the country.
He disclosed that one of the returning officials is from the DFA while the other one works for the DOLE.
He added that the heads of those embassies may be held accountable for their subordinates if proven that they had knowledge on the actions of the erring officials.
“Hopefully we will come to an objective conclusion on it,” Del Rosario said.
No complaints yet
Meanwhile, Del Rosario explained that currently there are no official complaints lodged against the accused officials.
However, he noted that there are verbal complaints against them which will be investigated.
“We would like to get the cooperation of all sectors to be able to help us in finding these people who may be able to shed light on what really is going on,” Del Rosario said.
He also clarified that people who have witnessed the abuses may also file a complaint.
“If you have witnessed these incidents then we urge you to come forward,” Del Rosario said.
Labor exec's denial
One of those Bello named, labor official Mario Antonio who is assigned to the embassy in Amman, Jordan, countered in an interview on dzBB that the information being fed to Bello about him came from human traffickers and illegal recruiters.
Bello reiterated that his sources were unnamed DFA and DOLE officials who are upright and only desired to weed out nefarious practices in Philippine overseas posts.
Antonio also faced reporters at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration office, where he denied the accusations against him.
In an interview with radio dzBB's Glen Juego on Thursday morning, Antonio said he has had a long stint as a labor attache, with no derogatory record.
A day before, he said in another interview on dzBB radio he could have been linked to the mess because he had defended the rights of overseas Filipino workers.
"Yan ay hindi makatotohanan. 'Yan ay siguro dala yan ng salita ng recruitment agency at trafficker sa pagtanggol natin ng mga OFW," he said on Wednesday. He also said he was surprised over the allegations.
Antonio was one of three Philippine officials linked by Rep. Walden Bello to the supposed exploitation of distressed OFWs in the Philippine shelter in Amman.
Malacañang has ordered an investigation into the matter.
P1 budget
In a press release on Thursday, acting Senate President Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said he will work for a P1 budget for the DFA and the DOLE should they fail to resolve this case with dispatch and to punish unscrupulous Filipino diplomats involved in the scandal.
Estrada, chairman of the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development and Congressional Oversight Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, said the "officials found guilty of this heinous offense must be immediately put behind bars and slapped with administrative sanctions, including perpetual disqualification from public office."
“Gaya marahil ng mga nakarinig ng istoryang ito, ako ay nanggagalaiti sa galit nang aking malaman na ang ilang opisyal ng ating embahada at POLO ay nakuha pang pagkakitaan ang kalunos-lunos na sinapit ng ating mga kababayang OFW," Estrada said.
"Sila na tinatakbuhan ng mga OFW at inaasahang magtatanggol sa kanilang karapatan at kapakanan ang siya palang magsasamantala sa kanila,” he added.
Violence against women
In a news release on Thursday, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) condemned "sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and other forms of violence against women (VAW)" and said it "warrants proper action to Philippine officials who may be involved in the alleged “sex-for-fly” activities in the Middle East."
"Rape and human trafficking are serious crimes and are contrary to the principles of respect and human dignity. Both can cause serious physical, emotional and psychological pains. PCW finds it disturbing that some Philippine officials in the Middle East are said to be among the perpetrators of human trafficking, prostitution and VAW," the group noted.
The PCW said traffickers and VAW perpetrators should be held accountable. "We need to send clear, unambiguous signals to embassy and labor officials that they cannot impose false authority over OFWs asking for help," the group said. – with a report from Andrei Medina/VVP/KG/HS, GMA News
