By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The death of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Constancia Lago Dayag in Kuwait highlighted the need for the government to create decent jobs in the country, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas said Thursday.
Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas (GABRIELA WOMEN'S PARTY / FACEBOOK)
Brosas expressed concern that despite a new Philippine-Kuwait memorandum of understanding (MOU) on workers' deployment, Dayag was sexually abused and killed in Kuwait.
"Bagama't kailangan natin ng mas mahigpit na proteksyon ng ating mga kababayan sa ibayong dagat gamit ang MOUs at iba pang kasunduan, higit na kailangang tugunan ang paglikha ng sapat na disenteng trabaho dito sa Pilipinas," she said in a statement.
She said the job generation remains dismal under the current regime.
"Hangga't naninikluhod tayo sa ibang bansa para bigyan ng trabaho ang ating mga kababayan, lagi't laging bulnerable ang ating mga manggagawa, lalo ang mga manggagawang kababaihan, sa abuso at karahasan," she added.
Brosas said concerned government officials should be held accountable over Dayag's death, though Malacañang already agreed to review the Philippines' new MOU with Kuwait.
"Kaisa ang Gabriela sa panawagang katarungan at pag-imbestiga sa pagkamatay ni Constancia. Kailangang mapanagot ang dapat managot sa isa na namang kaso ng pagpaslang sa ating kababayan," she said.
Dayag's remains was expected to arrive in the Philippines Thursday.In February last year, President Duterte ordered a ban on OFWs heading to Kuwait after the corpse of domestic helper Joanna Demafelis was found in a freezer in her employer's home.
The ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to Kuwait was totally lifted in May 2018 after the Philippines and Kuwait signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) providing additional workplace safety guarantees for the Filipinos working in the Gulf nation.