MANILA, PHILIPPINES: Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello reiterated his warning that the Philippine government mulls imposing a deployment ban to Saudi Arabia over repeated incidents of abuses to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Bello said that he is still waiting for the recommendation of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) administrator Bernard Olalia on the deployment ban.
“Kasi po nagpadala ako ng instruction sa kanya Olalia na pag-aralan ang posibilidad na mag-deployment ban sa KSA sa dami ng incident ng maltreatment ng ating mga OFWs,” ABS-CBN quoted Bello as saying.
Bello slammed the cases of abuse allegedly committed by a Saudi general and not paying his Filipino househelpers’ salaries.
“[P]inag-aaralan ko na ‘wag muna tayo magdeploy hangga’t hindi sila nagpapakita, lalo na ang pamahalaan ng KSA, na handa nilang protektahan ang mga OFW,” Bello said.
This will be the second time that the Philippines will be imposing a ban this year.
In May, the country ordered a temporary suspension of deployment over quarantine protocols and payment concerns.
