Senator Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday, January 17, urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to strengthen its free legal services for distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by hiring high-caliber lawyers.
During the public hearing of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers regarding several bills seeking to strengthen financial and legal assistance to OFWs, Tulfo said that the effective way to improve the low acquittal rate of cases involving Filipinos working abroad is by ensuring that they have good representation.
One of the topics discussed during the hearing was the supposed zero acquittal of OFW-related cases handled by DFA retained lawyers from January to June 2022.
Tulfo, likewise, asked DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega to ensure that offices abroad catering to migrant workers would operate on the expected eight working hours per day, or more, to cater to OFWs in need of assistance.
He said that some OFWs he met during a trip abroad complained that DFA employees abroad only worked “half day” and would only entertain them at certain hours supposedly due to some “paper works”
The lawmaker maintained that there should still be employees responsible to assist OFW the whole day even if there are a lot of papers that need to be processed, especially during emergency circumstances.
In response, de Vega said he would look into the issue and call all necessary embassies abroad.
Tulfo said that his committee would be focusing on laws that would make the prosecution of illegal recruitment cases faster and also the wise management of the AKSYON fund such that legal and other financial aid are given to those OFWs in need.”