
NANAWAGAN si Kabayan partylist Rep. Ron Salo sa Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) na masusing pag-aralan ang muling pagpapatupad ng ‘deployment ban’ sa Kuwait matapos ang magkasunod na insidente ng pagkamatay ng dalawang Pinay overseas workers sa naturang bansa.
Hinimok din ni Salo, dating chairman ng House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, ang DMW at Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) na makipag-ugnayan sa Kuwaiti authorities upang matiyak na mabibigyan ng hustisya at mapanagot ang responsable sa mapait na sinapit nina Dafnie Nacalaban at Jenny Alvarado.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of Dafnie Nacalaban and Jenny Alvarado, whose untimely deaths in Kuwait have brought immense sorrow to their families and our nation. Their loss underscores the vulnerabilities of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and the urgent need to strengthen existing protective mechanisms,” pahayag ng pakikidalamhati ni Salo.
“We urge the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to work closely with Kuwaiti authorities to ensure justice is served for Dafnie and Jenny. Holding the perpetrators accountable and adopting proactive measures to prevent similar tragedies are critical steps forward,” dugtong niya.
Ayon kay Salo, dapat din timbangin ng mabuti ng DMW kung muli nitong ipagbabawal ang pagpapadala ng overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sa naturang bansa.
“We appeal to the DMW to seriously study and rethink its reported consideration of another deployment ban, and to adopt a more nuanced and strategic approach. An outright ban may exacerbate the situation of approximately 260,000 Filipinos currently working in Kuwait, potentially placing them in even more precarious positions,” sabi ni Salo.
“Past experiences have shown that deployment bans often lead to unintended consequences. During previous bans, many OFWs with expired contracts chose to remain with their employers, fearing they would not be allowed to return if they went home. Others were forced to seek new employers who had not been properly vetted, exposing them to greater risks. This was tragically the case for Dafnie Nacalaban, who transferred to an unvetted new employer at the time of her death,” anang partylist congressman.
Sinabi ni Salo na dapat lamang magkaroon ng deployment ban kung mayroong paglabag sa bilateral agreement ang isang host country at ang krimeng ginawa ng pribadong indibidwal, gaano man ito kabigat ay hindi naman maaaring isisi sa Kuwaiti government.
“Determining the host government’s breach, if any, is vital before imposing such an extreme measure. We call on the DMW to pursue diplomatic engagements with Kuwaiti authorities to bolster protections for OFWs without resorting to an outright ban,” apela pa ng kongresista. (Romeo Allan Butuyan II)