Palace Addresses Tanim Bala

AS Filipino reel in shame and overseas workers watch in fear because of the tanim- bala controversy, Malacañang said the Aquino administration will showcase Filipino talents to “plant” a memory that will make foreigners to visit the Philippines again.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said foreigners, particularly the delegates to the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, will see world-class Filipino talents “up close and personal” during the welcome reception.

“Maybe news that Filipinos win prestigious contests because they sing or dance well will give visitors the chance to see world-class Filipino talents up close and personal,” Valte said in an interview on state-owned Radyo ng Bayan.

“We hope that the totality of the experience will be the memory our visitors will bring back to their countries,” Valte said.

But the Department of Labor and Employment had a more concrete measure for the tanim-bala controversy and created an inter-agency team to protect overseas Filipino workers who may be victimized by the syndicate planting bullets in the luggage of airline passengers.

“We want to protect our overseas Filipino workers from being victims of the tanim-bala or laglag bala scheme. This deplorable modus operandi is sowing fear among our OFWs who are either going abroad or coming home,” said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

The inter-agency team will be composed of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, International Labor Affairs Bureau, Legal Service, and Labor Communications Office.

“The main responsibility of the Inter-Agency team is to assist overseas Filipino workers who will be apprehended for alleged possession of ammunitions or bullets,” said Baldoz.

Undersecretary Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III is tasked to lead the inter-agency team which will coordinate with agencies, such as the Manila International Airport Authority, Office for Transportation Security, Philippine Aviation Security Group, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation and Public Attorney’s Office.

Baldoz said that if an OFW is apprehended for alleged possession of ammunition or bullets, the POEA and OWWA shall, through their respective Labor Assistance Center and Welfare Officers stationed at the airports, immediately assist the concerned OFW.

The DoLE assistance shall include legal advice; psycho-social counseling; free communication lines to immediate family, friend, recruitment agency, or lawyer; and food and accommodation.

The POEA and OWWA shall immediately advise the ILAB of any OFW’s apprehension or involvement in the said modus operandi.

ILAB, on the other hand, will  communicate with the concerned Philippine Overseas Labor Office to advise the foreign agency or employer on the OFW’s situation and, if possible,  request that the OFW be given reasonable time to thresh-out the issue.

The POEA shall also inform the OFW’s recruitment agency of the incident for any assistance, such as coordination with the foreign principal/employer and possible placement to other employer in case the OFW’s employment is forfeited. 

It shall also issue advisories to recruitment agencies and OFWs on preventive and precautionary measures to avoid being victims of the said scheme.

Vito Barcelo