Gov't should help Filipino ex-POGO workers - senator

The government should look after the welfare of Filipino workers previously legitimately employed by Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOS), Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said yesterday.

- With Evelyn Macairan

Tolentino emphasized that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must take the lead in helping these legitimate workers find gainful employment and be protected from discrimination in job fairs and hiring by employers.

"I am reiterating my appeal for the government to help our kababayans who are just rendering legitimate work.

These workers must also be protected from discrimination when applying for new jobs," he said.

The senator asked the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) to coordinate with the DOLE for this purpose.

In his regular radio program "Usapang Tol" yesterday, PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz told the senator that in the raid the agency conducted on a POGO hub illegally operating near the Senate building in Pasay City last Thursday, a total of 192 foreign nationals and 73 Filipino workers were arrested by government operatives.