‘No sex-related offenses in HK, Malaysia, Singapore’

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine diplomatic posts in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong do not have reports of sex-related offenses committed by its personnel against distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking temporary shelter there, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

The DFA concluded Friday a fact-finding consultation with the heads of posts of Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, following the alleged involvement of Riyadh assistant labor attaché Antonio Villafuerte in the “sex-for-repatriation” scheme in the Middle East.

“We are happy that these three posts do not have reports of sex-related offenses committed by post personnel against wards in their respective Filipino Workers Resource Centers (FWRCs),” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

“The management of the FWRCs in these posts appears to be adequately protective of the wards,” he added.

Hernandez also said that on the basis of the consultations that the DFA had with the heads of posts from the Middle East, North Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, the DFA will come up with recommendations on best policies and practices covering the management and operations of FWRCs.

The recommendations will be submitted to President Aquino and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario conducted consultations with 13 heads of posts based in the Middle East and North Africa from June 22 to 23, following the allegation of Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers’ affairs, that a sex-for-repatriation scheme was being perpetrated against distressed OFWs by some government personnel posted in Jordan, Kuwait, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

The consultations aimed to gather more information on the alleged criminal behavior of certain government personnel to validate the allegations, which could lead to the application of punitive measures and identification of preventive and corrective measures.

Binay: Let the probe take its course

For his part, Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday asked the public to let the investigation being conducted by the DOLE and the DFA on the sex-for-flight cases take its course.

Binay, presidential adviser on OFW concerns, said the DOLE and DFA must be given a chance to conduct its investigation, and that all the ambassadors in the Middle East were asked to attend the probe.

He said earlier that the government would not stop its investigation until labor and embassy officials responsible for the sex-for-flight scheme are put in jail.

Villafuerte defended by wife

Meanwhile, Villafuerte was defended by his wife against his alleged involvement in the sex-for-flight scheme.

Remedios Villafuerte said her husband is innocent and was never involved in the sex-for-flight scheme and in any criminal case since he arrived at the Philippine embassy in Riyadh last year.

“My husband is righteous. If he is not, we could have been rich,” she said in Filipino upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Friday night from Singapore.

“Maybe she (the complainant) got mad at my husband because he ignored her,” she added. – With Jose Rodel Clapano, Rudy Santos