MANILA — Senator Franklin Drilon has urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to conduct extensive pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS) for the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to prevent them from victimized by the drug syndicate.
According to the Senate leader, the fate of Mary Jane Veloso can be avoided if the OFWs will be given proper orientation about the laws they should follow outside the Philippines.
Veloso was sentenced with death penalty for transporting illegal drugs in Indonesia.
“This can be avoided because our OFWs knew that they cannot transport illegal drugs. Perhaps we should have extensive pre-departure seminar to instill to the minds of our OFWs that they should avoid this kind of job,” Drilon said in radio DWIZ interview on Sunday.
The Philippine government officials have made last ditch appeals to save the life of Veloso, mother of two children, who went to Malaysia as domestic helper in 2010.
When she arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the job is no longer available prompting her to accept the offer of a certain Christine to go to Indonesia.
Christine gave Veloso a new brand suitcase and USD 500 but upon arrival at Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the airport authorities discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin with street value of Php 22 million inside the suitcase.
Veloso was arrested and six months of trial, the Indonesian court sentenced her for execution.
President Benigno Aquino III has personally appealed Veloso’s case, first to former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011 and then recently to incumbent Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo.
Vice President Jejomar Binay also made last ditch plea to President Widodo through Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
“We have to instill to the minds of our OFWs that they are subjected to the laws of other countries,” Drilon emphasized.
Drilon appealed to all the Filipinos traveling abroad not to entertain any offer from stranger to avoid being victimized by the drug syndicates.
“As the ambassadors of our country in the foreign lands, we should instead to them to really avoid being involved with these kind of syndicates,” the lawmaker said.
Veloso, along with nine other drug convicts, was reportedly scheduled for firing squad on April 28.