SunStar: Bet vows to pursue bills for OFWs

Pampanga congressional candidate Ferdinand "Dinan" Labung vowed to pursue measures at the House of Representatives intended to protect the interest of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in a bid to stamp out illegal recruiters victimizing unsuspecting applicants. Labung, who is running under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), said most of his constituents are falling prey to illegal recruiters in Manila. He said he would propose stiffer penalties against illegal recruiters to eradicate their illegal activities and protect the welfare of his constituents in the third district. "OFWs are real heroes and heroines of our country who should be protected from illegal recruiters," he said. Most of the residents of Pampanga's third district are farmers and many of them were victimized by illegal recruiters. Many of them were also victims of the dreaded lahar flows that buried much of Bacolor town, where Labung hails from. "If elected to the House of Representatives, I would sponsor laws providing stiffer penalties against illegal recruiters," said Labung. "This way the illegal recruiters will think twice against committing crime against unsuspecting applicants from the provinces particularly Pampanga," he said. Labung said his constituents should not hesitate to report erring placement agencies in Pampanga or in Manila. OFWs based in Pampanga thanked Labung for his unequivocal stance against illegal recruiters.