A former lawmaker condemned the slow and bureaucratic response of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government to pleas by distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) caught in Israel’s escalating military actions in Lebanon.
As the Zionist army of Israel has started its ground military operations into Lebanon, former Bayan Muna and Gabriela representative Liza Maza demanded that the Philippine government start top-level talks with Lebanon to allow Filipinos to be flown home without delay.
In a statement, Maza revealed that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is more concerned about finding out if an OFW is “properly documented” than providing help to all Filipinos in the war-torn country.
Maza said that many OFWs, including those whose passports are being withheld by employers, are being left behind due to stringent DMW regulations that only allow repatriation for workers with “proper documentation.”
This has left many migrant workers helpless as they await rescue while bombs continue to rain down in Lebanon, she said.
‘Documentation, clearances’
In a statement Wednesday, the DMW said it has repatriated 430 OFWs and 28 dependents so far, failing however to mention the time frame of the repatriations and whether it has done so after Israel’s latest military incursions into Lebanon.
It also admitted that it is only providing assistance to “documented” OFWs.
“The MWO (Migrants Welfare Office)-Beirut is also arranging the repatriation of additional 63 OFWs with complete documentation and clearances to leave Lebanon,” it said.
The agency also did not say if it has plans of sending planes to Beirut to fly OFWs home, only blaming cancelled commercial flights in September for the failure of distressed Filipinos to flee Lebanon.
DMW said it is assisting 63 OFWs until the next outbound flights on October 11 and 22.
Maza however said that DMW’s response is condemnable.
“Puro requirements at burukrasya ang pinapairal. Nagmamakaawa na ang mga kababayan natin,” Maza said.
“Put your act together, DMW. Naiipit na sila sa sigalot doon. Marapat na kumilos na ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas para pabilisin ang pagpapauwi sa ating mga kababayang nanganganib ang buhay!” Maza fumed.
In an online news briefing Tuesday by Migrante International, Kristina, an OFW based in Lebanon, tearfully recounted her situation during an online press briefing.
“Kailangan pa ba namin mag-live ng bombahan dito para paniwalaan kami? Giyera na rito,” she cried, highlighting the urgency of the situation as Israeli airstrikes draw nearer to residential areas.
Kristina said Manila managed to send planes to repatriate OFWs during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, but has so far failed to act with the same decisiveness this time.
Maza emphasized that the situation requires immediate diplomatic intervention and top-level negotiations with Lebanon to ensure the safe and rapid exit of Filipinos, regardless of passport status.
“Dapat magkaroon na ng top-level usapan, gobyerno sa gobyerno, nang makauwi na agad ating mga kababayan. Gusto na nilang lumikas. Huwag na nating antayin na may mamatay pa mula sa ating mga OFW,” she said.
Zionist war
Last week, Israel remotely detonated electronic gadgets it later bragged killed several Hezbollah top leaders and fighters.
Subsequent Israeli missile attacks also killed Hezbollah leader Hashan Nashrallah and his deputy Ali Karki.
Tel Aviv also fired missiles into Yemen.
This week, Tel Aviv sent tanks into Lebanese territory, reigniting a full blown war against Hezbollah.
On Tuesday night, Iran sent nearly 200 missiles into Israeli-occupied Palestine, in retaliation to several military attacks by Tel Aviv.
Maza said Tel Aviv is disproportionately targeting civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen and Syria.
“The Zionist state is the imperialist tool for this ongoing war, and it continues to wage destruction across the region, leaving countless civilians in its wake,” said Maza
Given the increasingly dangerous situation, Maza is urging the Philippine government to take decisive action and prioritize the safety of OFWs.
“Many of these individuals have risked their lives due to unemployment in the Philippines, only to become trapped in a conflict area,” she said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
