‘Sexploitation’ Report Disturbs DFA

Following the press briefing Tuesday by Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello ‘s allegation of sexual exploitation by three Philippine embassy and labor officials in the Middle East against female overseas Filipino workers (OFW), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Raul Hernandez said the DFA is disturbed by said allegation.

Hernandez said DFA secretary Albert del Rosario already talked to Bello about the reports and that they will meet again Wednesday.

“Our core interest is to protect our OFWs in every instance. We are disturbed by the news reports that we are receiving regarding the sex-related offenses allegedly committed by embassy personnel,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez added that Sec. Del Rosario already talked to Cong. Bello afternoon Tuesday and set to meet again Wednesday to complete the information that they have and establish a way forward in terms of investigation.

Representative Bello, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers’ affairs, said Tuesday that the two were from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jordan and Kuwait. “Sexual abuse on our womenfolk perpetrated by their hosts in a foreign country is an awful crime,” Bello said. “But there is something more awful, and that is their exploitation by their own compatriots in that strange land.” Bello said.

The 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.

Bello has said his office is still investigating the reported “sex-for-flight” transactions. The lawmaker described the cases of sexual exploitation they discovered as “equally, if not as horrible, as ‘sex-for-flight.”

Bello has requested Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz for the dismissal of the three men from government service and for their criminal prosecution.

“We must do this because this is what justice demands. We must do this to restore the faith of our OFWs in our government’s ability to protect them,” he said.

Source: Gma’s News Tv/gmanews.tv