The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should hasten the repatriation of all trafficked Filipinos, especially minors, in Syria, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Monday, May 3.

Hontiveros reiterated her call after “Alice,” a trafficked overseas Filipino worker (OFW) whose experience came to light during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Women and Children, finally arrived in Manila after being rescued by the DFA.

The senator also said Marites Pantonal, another trafficked woman who was imprisoned in Syria simply for asking her employer if she could go back home after her husband died, is also now back in the Philippines.

“I laud the DFA, particularly the embassy in Damascus, for its swift action after our hearing. While we are grateful that ‘Alice’ and ‘Marites’ are no longer in Syria, the DFA should continuously investigate if there are still trafficked Filipinos in the war-torn country who are not yet in their custody,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Our kababayans (fellowmen), who are possibly also facing brutal treatment from their employers, should all be rescued at once,” she said.

In the testimonial video she sent the Senate panel, “Alice” detailed how her recruiter paid Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials in the Philippines to assist her and other trafficked women to exit the country without passing through the proper inspection at the airport.

Hontiveros said her committee will hold its second hearing on Tuesday, May 4 to tackle reports of minors who were also trafficked to Syria.

“The hearing tomorrow will reveal more. Napag-alaman namin na may mga menor de edad na nata-traffick din papuntang Syria. Marami pang nakakaalarmang kwento ang bago naming mga saksi (we learned there are minors who are also being trafficked to Syria. The details provided by our witnesses is alarming),” Hontiveros said.

“Patototohanan nila kung gaano na kalawak at kalalim ang negosyo ng sindikato, hindi lamang sa loob ng BI, kundi sa iba ring parte ng gobyerno (They will testify on how wide and deep these syndicates operate, not only inside in the BI, but also in other parts of government),” Hontiveros said.

“We should not stop until the very last trafficked Filipino woman is safe. Inaasahan ko na hindi titigil ang DFA sa pagliligtas ng ating kababaihan mula sa karahasan na inabot nila sa Syria (I also expect that the DFA won’t stop in rescuing our women from the violence they suffered in Syria),” she stressed.

“Our women not only deserve rescue, they also deserve justice,” she added.

Both “Alice” and “Maritess” who suffered abuse in the hands of their Syrian employers, she said, will also participate in the Senate hearing again.