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An assistant labour attache stationed in Saudi Arabia will be the first Philippine diplomatic official to be investigated in connection with the sexual abuse and harassment of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who are awaiting repatriation. |
The Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) yesterday identified the official as Antonio Villafuerte, who was accused of attempting to have sex with an OFW named ‘Michelle.’
Villafuerte is also accused of pimping ‘Michelle’ to an Egyptian friend.
Labour Undersecretary Danilo Cruz said Villafuerte has been ordered to immediately come home.
But Cruz said he was unaware if ‘Michelle’ or any other OFW has filed a formal complaint against Villafuerte.
Last week, the DOLE fact-finding team expanded its probe to cover Saudi Arabia taking the cue from Michelle’s expose.
Villafuerte has yet to come home, but the fact-finding team is already scheduled to leave for the Middle East this week to search for more information and to ferret out other possible victims. Yesterday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario confirmed at least one suspected offender has been identified but stopped short of naming him. Del Rosario said the official has been recalled and “will face investigation once he arrives.”
He said he was able to confirm “certain allegations” after he talked with three alleged victims on June 21.
“For the most part, however, until other victims and witnesses come forward, all other allegations including sex rings remain as allegations requiring further investigation,” he told reporters.
The allegations against the officials range from harassment to abuse of authority to molestation. Del Rosario also ordered home the ambassadors to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore following a fact-finding investigation regarding the alleged sexual abuses in countries where the Philippines runs halfway houses for distressed Filipino migrant workers awaiting repatriation.
There are what are called Filipino Workers’ Resource Centres in the three countries.
Del Rosario held consultations with the envoys from Syria, Jordan and Kuwait, as well as eight other countries in the Middle East and North Africa regarding the allegations. “We need to take a good look (at these halfway houses). We want to make it clear there should be no fraternisation between embassy officials, including attached agencies and the OFWs taking refuge there,” the secretary said.
The rules and regulations in the halfway houses must be “standardised,” del Rosario said.
Last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs recalled 13 mission chiefs in the Middle East and North Africa to help investigate allegations of sexual harassment and abuse committed by embassy and labour officials in Syria, Jordan and Kuwait.
Diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Lebanon were asked to come home.
The allegations were first hurled by Akbayan Rep Walden Bello who accused ‘Kim’ from the Philippine augmentation team in Syria, Mario Antonio, assistant labour attache in Jordan and Blas Marquez, a local hire of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) in Kuwait, of abusing and pimping Filipinas. He said the three offered plane tickets to the Filipinas for their repatriation in exchange for sexual favours.
During his meeting with the heads of 13 Philippine missions over the weekend, del Rosario said he was able “to collate all possible information that I think will enable us to have justice for the victims and punish the guilty. We will be able to review all the policies and procedures governing our conduct in cases such as these.”