Senate Committee Chairperson Raffy Tulfo slammed the position of the Migrant Workers Department for not heeding the call to impose deployment ban to Kuwait following the death of Jullebee Ranara.
Tulfo admitted that he got offended with Migrant Workers Secretary Toots Ople’s decision over her proposal.
“Masama loob ko kay Sec. Toots Ople, I said I want a deployment ban. I was only suggesting. I don’t know bakit parang mas pinapaburan niya sa polisiya niya na matulungan ang recruitment agency,” Tulfo said.
The DMW said it is now implementing a ‘targeted deployment ban’ instead for newly hired workers to Kuwait.
“Why not just impose a total deployment ban? Because there are actual OFWs who have already worked in Kuwait for several years who still want to go back to their old employers or seek new ones. We have also been informed through diplomatic channels of the willingness of the Kuwait government to engage in bilateral labor talks. We are preparing well in advance for these talks, bringing with us an accumulation of abuse done over the years, hence the need for significant changes,” Ople said.
Ople said that the application of first-time migrant workers specifically for household services in Kuwait shall be deferred until after significant reforms have been made resulting from upcoming bilateral talks with the said country.
“Yung mga baguhan, never before nagwork as kasambahays abroad or yung nagwork as kasambahays pero hindi sa Kuwait ay kailangan maghintay muna dahil nais tiyakin ng department na may mas maayos na monitoring at mas mabilis na response system in place bago sila tumungo doon,” Ople said.
