Pres. Duterte ‘serious’ in implementing Kuwait deployment ban: Bello

FIL: Labor Seretary Silvestre Bello III and President Rodrigo Duterte (PNA Photo)

MANILA — Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that President Rodrigo Duterte is serious in considering a total deployment ban of workers to Kuwait.

In a statement Thursday, the DOLE chief noted that such action would depend if the investigation on the recent deaths of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were caused by maltreatment and abuse.

“The major concern of the President is the welfare of our OFWs. And he is serious about his threat of total ban if the investigation would point to violent maltreatment and exploitation as the cause of death,” he said.

The President threatened to withdraw all OFWs in Kuwait if another migrant Filipina worker dies from abuse during his pre-departure speech before he left for India on Wednesday.

With this, Bello added that the government is ready in case of total deployment ban.

“Kung matutuloy, we have alternative markets. Nandyan ang China, Canada and UK. Our country has also an increasing demand for workers so we could actually ask our OFWs to go back home,” he said.

Last week, the labor secretary ordered the suspension of deployment of workers to Kuwait on orders of the President.

“We have to ensure full protection and security of our OFWs before sending them that’s why we ordered the suspension. The result of the investigation will be out after 15 days,” Bello said.

At the same time, the DOLE expressed concern over the increase of cases of abuse of Filipinos workers in the Arab nation.

Bello said his office received reports of 1,447 cases of maltreatment, 2,959 cases of contract violation, 227 sexual abuses and 63 cases of rape of Filipino workers for just a period of one year from 2016.