Senator Raffy Tulfo has urged the country’s newly appointed ambassadors to prioritize the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), raising concerns over past cases of abuse and ongoing unfair labor practices.
During a meeting on Tuesday, August 26, Tulfo confronted the issue of Filipino seafarers who, under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, were deported without due process after being accused by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of viewing pornographic content. No evidence was ever presented against them, yet they suffered deportation and discrimination.
The matter, which had been investigated by the Senate committee on migrant workers chaired by Tulfo, was presented before the envoys as a reminder of the harsh realities OFWs face abroad. He stressed the importance of vigilance and intervention from the diplomatic corps to prevent similar injustices.
Tulfo also called for stronger measures against the widespread confiscation of passports by employers in the Middle East—an exploitative practice that restricts the freedom and rights of OFWs.
Present at the dialogue were former DFA secretary Enrique Manalo, DFA Undersecretaries Tess De Vega and Leo Herrera-Lim, Assistant Secretary Patrick Hilado, and the newly designated ambassadors: Pablito Mendoza (Denmark), Gines Gallaga (Bahrain), Marlowe Miranda (Lebanon), Dinno Oblena (promotion to Chief of Mission, Class II), Noel Novicio (Fiji), and Jaime Ascalon (Turkey).
