RP reminds Malaysia of pact against deporting sick illegal immigrants

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Philippine government is invoking its agreement with Malaysia that Malaysian authorities should not deport any sick illegal immigrants following the death of two minors who had been deported with 500 others Saturday, officials here said.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office spokeswoman Fe de la Cruz said they have asked the central office to remind their Malaysian counterparts of a standing agreement with regards to the health status of the deportees repatriated to the Philippines.

"They should not deport once the deportee is sick," De la Cruz said.

Dr. Rodelyn Agbulos, Zamboanga City health officer and government representative to the health officials coordinating with Malaysian health authorities, said she had yet to assess the status of the two deported minors prior to their repatriation.

The dead were identified as Timah Basil, 13, and Nurhani Nurmi, 3; both born to parents hailing from Sumisip, Basilan, according to DSWD crisis intervention unit head Agapita Bendoy.

Basil died from chronic gastroenteritis complicated by severe malnutrition and ulcers while aboard the M/V Danica Joy from Sabah, Malaysia. Nurmin died while undergoing treatment for bronchopneumonia at the Zamboanga City Medical Center.

Bendoy said the two were among the 531 deportees who arrived Saturday.

She said they expect the batches of deportees sent every week by the Malaysian authorities as part of their crackdown against illegal migrants, including hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.

Bendoy said that, from January to September, they received over 7,000 deportees and expected the number of deportees to reach 8,000 by the end of this year.

The deportees, mostly from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Palawan, are being documented and processed before they are sent back to their places of origin.

Bendoy said some repatriates who are qualified to work are given proper working documents and sent back to Malaysia, depending on the agreement with their Malaysian employers.

Malaysian authorities earlier said they are expecting to crack down on an estimated 300,000 illegal Filipino migrants who entered Malaysia via the Philippines’ southern back door.

From the assessment of the DSWD, the repatriation of that many Filipinos and the cost of sending them back to their places of origin would cost the Philippine government between P200 million and P300 million.