Villar wants stiffer penalties vs illegal recruiters, human traffickers

MANILA, Philippines - After helping in the repatriation of 15 distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East, Senate President Manny Villar is now seeking heavier penalties against syndicates involved in human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

Villar on Thursday filed Senate Resolution No. 366 which urges the Senate to conduct a comprehensive review of the implementation of labor recruitment, anti-human smuggling, and immigration laws of the country.

He presented his resolution to the media during the Senate visit of five allegedly maltreated OFWs from Abu Dhabi who had returned to the country.

Villar, who shouldered the airfares of the five OFWs as well as those of the 10 others who returned from Jordan last Monday, said illegal recruitment is considered as an offense involving economic sabotage when committed against three or more persons as defined in the Labor Code.

According to the Senate president, there is a need for comprehensive review of immigration laws in the wake of the reported rampant human smuggling activities, the increasing number of incarcerated OFWs particularly in the Middle East, the reported maltreatment and abuse of OFWs, and the illegal recruitment even of minors using the 'escort system.'

"The OFWs are now considered the biggest partners of our country's economic development with their remittances accounting for the continuing appreciation of the peso," Villar said.

The Senate president noted that there are at least 7,945,252 OFWs whose remittances through formal banking institutions alone reached over $7 billion in the first half of 2007.

"There is a seemingly lax implementation and trend towards compromise of our laws and policies on illegal recruitment, anti-human smuggling and immigration in exchange for economic benefits and dollar remittances of OFWs," Villar said in his resolution.

"This review must be conducted immediately to realize the objectives of the constitutional provisions on a truly meaningful and caring labor environment," he added.

The five OFWs who visited Villar at his office were Lea Malunes, 27, from Camarines Sur; Salama Bakal, 28, from Cotabato City; Bernadette Romero, 38, from Cavite; Luciana Lunar, 44, from Batangas; and Fennie Tiletile, 48, from Tagum City.

The five said they escaped from their respective employers due to overwork, maltreatment, and insufficient food.

Villar welcomed them with sari-store pangkabuhayan goodies, while Senate doctors examined their conditions. - GMANews.TV

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