Group slams alleged govt inaction on OFW cases

MANILA, Philippines- A militant group on Saturday accused the Arroyo administration of also being guilty of violating the rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) for not doing anything to solve the increasing cases of OFW abuse.

Citing a study from the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), Migrante International said that even studies reaffirm their claims that the Arroyo administration is as guilty as the abusive employers who cause suffering to Filipino migrant workers.

"We have long been accusing the Philippine government as standing idly by as cases upon cases of our abused compatriots pile up in their midst," said Migrante chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado.

HRW on September 23 said many cases of migrant worker abuse never go to trial "as workers are unable to contact their embassies, are unfamiliar with the legal system, or have been threatened with spurious counter-charges of theft, witchcraft, or adultery."

"Our kababayans who leave their abusive employers are left to fend for themselves. This wanton neglect is as condemnable, if not criminal, as the abuses by the Saudi employers themselves," said Regalado.

The New York-based group said migrants who had become victims are sometimes imprisoned, punished by cruel lashings, or in some cases, end up in death row.

"This is the kind of migration that Arroyo wants to propagate as the model for development: billions of remittance money in exchange for the huge social cost to Filipino migrants," said the group leader.

According to Migrante, they have recorded 29 OFWs on death row and 50 OFWs who died under mysterious circumstances.- Kimberly Jane Tan, GMANews.TV

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