The Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) has urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong to stay indoors and keep away from protest rallies there.
“I urge and advise our OFWs in Hong Kong to be mindful about their safety amid the tension between government authorities and pro-democracy protesters calling for universal suffrage in Hong Kong,” Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in a statement yesterday.
“Stay indoors as much as possible, and keep in touch with our POLO (Philippine Overseas Labour Office),” Baldoz added.She said the OFWs should “avoid places where marches and protests are happening.”
Joining demonstrations or any protest action, Baldoz noted, may put Filipinos “in contravention of Hong Kong laws.”“The reason you are in Hong Kong is to work, not to engage in any political activity,” she explained.
Baldoz assured the families of the OFWs in the former British colony that the DOLE is in regular contact with the POLO and Philippine consulate.
