Akbayan Rep slams government’s slow response to evacuate Filipinos in Lebanon
Posted by tin on July 21, 2006
“This is not the kind of treatment our OFWs deserve!”, said Akbayan Rep. Mayong Aguja on the slow response of the Philippine government to offer direct assistance to Filipinos in Lebanon.
“While GMA has been actively peddling Filipino workers abroad, it took her this long to release funds for the protection and evacuation of at least 30,000 Filipinos in Lebanon”, added Aguja.
“In the past nine days since the military offensives in Lebanon, the Philippine government could not even guarantee protection for the Filipinos, resorting only to pleas for foreign assistance to allow Filipinos to board their evacuation vessels out of Lebanon”, said Aguja. “While foreign aid would be very much welcome, these countries have their own citizens to evacuate”, the legislator added.
“The lack of a clear evacuation plan agonizes our overseas workers and their families here in the Philippines”, said Aguja. “I have met distressed families in General Santos City who have not yet been able to contact their loved-ones in Lebanon”, said the Mindanaoan legislator. Without certainty of protection from the Philippine government, reports say that some workers have chosen to stay with their employers as they flee for safety.
“We hail our overseas workers for saving our economy and sending remittances which last year soared to 10.3 billion dollars. But we cannot assure them protection when they are in danger. Is this how we should be treating our Filipinos abroad?”, said Aguja.
“This manifests the Philippine government’s lack of sincerity to protect the growing number of citizens working abroad.” said Aguja. “The government sends its workers overseas for failing to produce local employment but does not immediately respond to protect the workers it sends away.” added Aguja.
“The government should take a more pro-active stance and provide a clear evacuation plan for our workers in Lebanon.”, challenged Aguja. “We cannot afford to just wait for foreign aid”, he added.
