Bello, DOLE in heated meeting over expose

MANILA, Philippines – The meeting between Akbayan Rep Walden Bello and acting Labor Secretary Rebecca Chato early morning Thursday, June 20, started on a “confrontational” note. 

“We started on a confrontational note. I protested what [labor attache Mario] Antonio said that this is ‘pakulo ng mga labor recruiters.’ I said this is such a lie. I have been after the illegal recruiters, even the legal recruiters,” Bello told reporters after the meeting. 

“I said he should not be repeating that lie. If he repeats it, he will face consequences,” he added. (Antonio just finished his own press conference as we were writing this story.)

But the mood eventually turned “okay,” according to the lawmaker. Bello has accused two labor officials based in the Middle East of running “prostitution rings” that sell female overseas Filipinos workers for sex. Bello said they charge up to US$1,000 per night. Bello named labor attache Mario Antonio in Amman, Jordan, and local hire Blas Marquez in Kuwait. The third person he named was a certain “Kim” in Syria, who was allegedly abusing OFWs.

Malacañang probe

Both the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) have launched separate probes on the allegations.

“We are expecting a report after two weeks and rest assured that we are not going to cover up anything…. The department will extend protection to them to ensure these people (investigators) are doing their job well and they’re not jeopardizing the interest of the OFWs,” Chato told reporters.

But Bello is not satisfied. Even as Chato vowed there will be “no cover up” in the probe, Bello has requested Malacañang to intervene and create a presidential task force. He fears that victims may not be willing to open up to DOLE. 

“We told DOLE that we wanted to have a presidential investigating committee. We have informants from DOLE that are not confident that the DOLE process will be objective,” he told reporters.

“Bahala na ang Malacañang kung pagsasamahin na. Ang concern yata is that pag may presidential task force na hindi kasama ang DOLE, they might be freer to speak out. The request was a parallel track not an integrated track,” Bello added.

Bello also asked DOLE to expand the scope of investigation. He wants similar probes in Qatar and United Arab Emirates, where cases were “reported but were not resolved.

Bello also wants the investigation to include other criminal activities. 

Bello threatens to resign

Bello appealed to the media to pursue the investigation. He said he is willing to resign if government fails to punish the “predators.”

“If we do not get criminal prosecution procedures started against these two individuals in particular who are running sex rings, I will resign from Congress in protest at the inaction of our government and its inability to bring the criminals within its ranks to account,” Bello said.

The Thursday meeting with Chato came a day after Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario met with Bello and assured him that he would lead the investigation.

Del Rosario said the information from Bello remains “hearsay” until they have validated it. – Rappler.com