Relacion: ‘Concrete actions were recommended against erring officials’
By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Philippine embassy officials involved in the “sex-for-flight” scandal in the Middle East have been removed from their posts and could possibly be terminated from work.
They will also face administrative and criminal charges if the evidence against them is strong, said Philippine ambassador to Qatar Crescente Relacion, who came back to Doha on Sunday evening after attending a meeting convened by the Foreign Affairs secretary in Manila .
He told Gulf Times that concrete actions were recommended against the public officials being charged with abuse and exploitation. Relacion and 12 other ambassadors based in the GCC and North Africa region met Foreign Affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario on Sunday and discussed the ‘sex-for-flight’ cases exposed by congressman Walden Bello.
It is learnt that the Philippine government will take action based on the results of the investigation being conducted by the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Del Rosario and some DFA officials have already talked to three complainants from Saudi Arabia, who accused mission officials in Riyadh of molesting them.
The Philippine government has also vowed to bring to justice those who would be found guilty of sexually abusing distressed OFWs. Assuring the safety of complainants, it urged other victims of sex abuse to report and file cases against the erring public officials.
Relacion disclosed that the consultation meeting also explored ways to strengthen the existing mechanisms to prevent these wrongdoings from happening in the future. Some of the recommendations included the strengthening of the “one country team approach” between DFA officials and the attached agencies like the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO). “It is the concept enunciated in Republic Act 8042 wherein the DFA and other government agency officials should coordinate with each other,” he said. Under the law, these officials should cooperate in giving adequate and timely assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) under the administrative supervision and control of the ambassador.
“One of the mechanisms to be strengthened is the aspect of coordination, to enhance the extension of services to distressed OFWs by revisiting the existing Memorandum of Agreement between DFA and DOLE,” the ambassador added.
Labour attache Leopoldo De Jesus had earlier said that they have assigned female officials to handle the cases of distressed OFWs in Doha as a way of preventing abuses including the ‘sex-for-flight’ racket. He also urged Filipinos in Qatar to immediately report similar cases to the embassy.
The POLO office is also helping in the speedy repatriation of the 32 remaining OFWs staying at their welfare shelter in Doha.