PH envoys hit for acting like ‘tourist guides’ of politicians

INSTEAD of acting like “tourist guides” of politicians, ambassadors and consuls should pay attention to the welfare of distressed Filipino Workers abroad, Senator Francis Escudero said on Monday.

Quoting the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Escudero said around 13,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been facing various cases in different parts of the world.

“Isang bagay ito na dapat talagang tutukan, isang bagay ito na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin at imbes na nagsisilbing mga tour guide or tourist guide ng kongresista, senador at sinuman ang mga ambassadors at consuls natin, ito ang dapat nilang tutukan at sana’y bigyang pansin,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s morning show, Umagang Kay Ganda.

Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, noted that from P10 million, Congress raised the legal assistance’s budget for OFWs to P100 million in 2015.

The senator made the remark  when asked about criticisms  that the government was slow in  providing legal assistance to Mary Jane Veloso, who is reportedly set to be executed on Tuesday, April 28,  in Indonesia for drug trafficking.

READ: https://globalnation.inquirer.net/121408/veloso-execution-set-on-april-28-say-ma-lawyers/

Escudero remained hopeful that Veloso could still be saved from her impending execution.

“Hindi ko kabisado ang batas ng Indonesia pero kadalasan sa isang bansa may kapangyarihan palagi ang pangulo na ipababa o pababain ang anumang parusang iginawad ng korte. Marahil ganun din po sa Indonesia kaya may pinanghahawakan pa rin tayong pag-asa, ’ika nga,” he said.

Interviewed later over the phone about his claim that diplomats were acting like tourist guides, Escudero confirmed this saying he himself was offered such services whenever he was out of the country.

“Ako noon inaalok ako palagi, palagi akong tumatanggi. Siguro ganun talaga kalakaran nila. Sa akin, hindi ko pinayagan dahil hindi naman trabaho yung sa akin eh. Sa totoo lang kaya ka nagbabakasyon para malayo layo sa gobyerno eh, tapos gobyerno pa din sasalubong sa yo dun,” he said.

Asked if  it was an SOP  among diplomats,  the senator answered no,  but said it  probably became  a practice as this was already being done in the past to  make sure that  they would get the approval of the Commission on Appointments  (CA).

The senator said there should be a law that should prevent such practice.

“Mag-file ng batas or resolution na ipagbabawal na yan para may sankalan yung mga diplomats natin na huwag nang gawin yun maliban na lang kung official visit talaga at may convention na aatendan yung mambabatas or official,” Escudero added. AC