Lawmaker to gov't: Halt deployment of Pinoy workers to war zones

Senator-elect and outgoing ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo is asking concerned government agencies to halt the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to areas caught in the middle of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

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Speaking at the monthly Balitaan sa Harbor View news forum held by the Manila City Hall Reporters' Association, Tulfo also said he would be prioritizing pro-poor legislative measures in the Senate, vowing to "hit the ground running."

Tulfo yesterday called on the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Bureau of Immigration to devise ways to effectively hold, albeit temporarily, sending OFWs to conflict-affected areas in the Middle East for their own safety.

"Not everywhere in the Middle East, only those in surrounding areas of Iran and Israel like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, Jordan and and Egypt. Now if we keep sending and the war might spread, we will be in a difficult spot because we have millions of OFWs in the Middle East. If we keep sending now, maybe we can hold for a while because our countrymen are in a dangerous situation," he said in Filipino.

"Maybe if there's a ceasefire or the conflict ends, maybe we can resume deployment but for now, our kababayans may be in trouble," he added.

OFWs hesitant