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Monday, November 19, 2007
Villar seeks inquiry on condition of detained OFWs (3:07 p.m.)
MANILA - Senate President Manny Villar filed Monday a resolution urging the Senate to conduct an inquiry on the present condition of Filipinos detained overseas.
Villar urges the Committee on Labor and Employment and Foreign Relations to conduct an urgent omnibus inquiry on the plight of detained Filipino workers in various countries in order to formulate remedial measure and devise a package of assistance to protect OFWs.
"An assessment of the legal and social remedies being afforded by our embassies and consular offices to our kababayan detained abroad for various offenses is imperative to ascertain sufficiency of assistance for the protection of OFWs," Villar said.
In his recent visit to the Middle East, Villar learned that more than 5,000 Filipinos are in prison for various cases of alleged small thefts, violations of illegal entry and similar immigration laws and some criminal cases which are all basically an "act of self-defense" in such countries as Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
Villar added that a number of Filipinos are victims of internal rebellion and civil strife as documented in countries such as Nigeria and Iraq. (CPB/Sunnex) |
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