The reintegration of pardoned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East, the start of talks on the transfer of sentenced persons, and the grant of executive clemency to Mary Jane Veloso were among the appeals made in plenary by a lady lawmaker on Monday, Jan. 27.

It was OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino who urged the government to take actions to protect and prioritize the welfare of migrant workers, particularly those who were in conflict with laws abroad .

She said that while some OFWs committed offenses, many were also victims of scams and human trafficking. Thus, she called for a balanced approach that combines justice and compassion.

In her privilege speech, Magsino called for the immediate repatriation and reintegration of 200 OFWs recently pardoned by the UAE as she stressed the need for robust support systems for incarcerated Filipinos abroad. This will help them rebuild their lives and regain their dignity.

The OFWs pardoned by UAE included those who were convicted of offenses such as drug-related cases, theft, and immigration violations, like absconding and overstaying.

"Pinakamahalaga sa lahat ay ang pag-ayuda sa ating pardoned OFWs sa hamong makabangon at makapagsimulang muli (What's most important is giving assistance to pardoned OFWs so they can rise and start again)," she said.

Magsino said a measure that OFW Party-list filed in the 19th Congress sought to establish an Integrated Reintegration Program for OFWs returning under any circumstance, regardless of their status or situation.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker also backed Senate President Chiz Escudero's call to negotiate Treaties on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TTSP) with countries hosting large OFW populations.

Such treaties, she said, would allow incarcerated OFWs to serve their sentences in the Philippines, allowing them to be closer to their families that fosters both rehabilitation and emotional support.

"We already have TTSPs with Spain, Thailand, and Hong Kong, but not yet with countries in the Middle East where the majority of OFWs are imprisoned," she said as she called on relevant agencies to fast-track negotiations on the matter.

Magsino, in her speech, also recalled the recent return to the Philippines of Mary Jane Veloso, an OFW who was previously on death row in Indonesia.

She said Veloso's case is "a beacon of hope for OFWs facing legal battles abroad".

She then appealed to President Marcos to grant Veloso executive clemency, allowing her to fully enjoy freedom and reunite with her family.

"Kung nakakapagpatawad ang mga dayuhan sa mga Pilipinong nagkakamali sa kanilang bansa, lalo’t higit tayong may kapasidad na ibigay ang biyaya ng kapatawaran sa mga kapwa nating Pilipino (If foreign countries can forgive erring Filipinos in their own countries, we also have the capacity to do so for our fellow Filipinos)," she said.