MANILA: The Philippine government is keeping a close watch to ensure safety of overseas Filipino workers from falling prey to “tanim bala”, according to Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz.
The government agencies have also reportedly taken a slew of measures to prevent such incidents from happening in future.
“Several steps have been taken by the Inter-Agency Committee to make sure that proper and immediate assistance is provided to OFWs, who will be apprehended for alleged possession of ammunitions or bullets at Philippine international airports,” Baldoz was quoted as saying by Philippine Information Agency.
Baldoz, citing a report from Undersecretary Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III, further said the DOLE met officials of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Office for Transportation Security (OTS), Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup), National Prosecution Service (NPS) and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
The meetings are aimed at establishing procedures and coordination on the investigation of OFWs who were allegedly in possession of ammunitions/bullets in Philippine international airports, the report said.
During the meeting, DOTC, OTS, and Avsegroup agreed to the following:
• The OTS shall immediately inform the Labor Assistance Center of the POEA/OWWA-Repatriation and Assistance Division (RAD) if an OFW has been found to be in possession of ammunition/bullets during security screening.
• OTS may require from the OFW an Overseas Employment Certificate. POEA and OWWA shall provide additional information if needed. The OTS shall consider the personal circumstances and employment records of the OFW in evaluating the case.
• The luggage of a female OFW shall be inspected by a female OTS officer in the presence of a representative from any of the following agencies: OWWA, POEA, and PAO. In no way shall further inspection be conducted in an isolated room.
• The worker will not be handcuffed unless he/she manifest violent behavior.
The PAO, on the other hand, agreed to provide immediate legal assistance to the OFW who is being held for custodial investigation. POEA/OWWA shall immediately contact PAO upon notification of OTS of said incident, Philippine Information Agency reported.
