Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should see to it that all trafficked Filipinos, especially minors, are repatriated back to the Philippines as soon as possible.
“Alice,” a trafficked Filipina whose situation came to light during a press conference led by Hontiveros last March, has finally arrived in Manila. Marites Pantonal, another trafficked woman who was imprisoned in Syria simply for asking her employer if she could go back home after her husband died, is also now back in the Philippines.
“I laud the DFA, particularly the embassy in Damascus, for its swift action after our hearing. While we are grateful that Alice and Marites are no longer in Syria, the DFA should continuously investigate if there are still trafficked Filipinos in the war-torn country who are not yet in their custody. Our kababayans, who are possibly also facing brutal treatment from their employers, should all be rescued at once,” Hontiveros said.
In her video, “Alice” alleged how her recruiter would pay Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers, who would then assist her and other trafficked women at the airport so they could exit the country without inspection. “Alice” and Marites, who both suffered abuse by their Syrian employers, will attend the Committee on Women’s second hearing on the issue today, Tuesday, May 4.
“The hearing tomorrow will reveal more,” Hontiveros said. “We should not stop until the very last trafficked Filipino woman is safe,” she added.
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