DOLE wants Taiwan to deport OFW for anti-Duterte comments

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is seeking the deportation of an overseas Filipino worker in Taiwan for alleged cyber libel.

DOLE, in a statement released Saturday, accused a certain Elanel Egot Ordidor, an alleged caregiver employed in Yunlin County, Taiwan, of cyber libel after her “willful posting of nasty and malevolent materials” targeting President Rodrigo Duterte on Facebook.

Ordidor’s posts, DOLE argued, “intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DOLE said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) has already coordinated with Ordidor’s broker and employer for her deportation on the basis of the gravity of her offense under Philippine law.

Sharing and posting of such kinds of videos are punishable under Republic Act No. 10175 or commonly known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, according to DOLE.

POLO officers in Taiwan got in contact with Ordidor in her workplace on April 20 wherein they told her that her posts amounted to a crime that might get her prosecuted both in Taiwan and in the Philippines, DOLE said.

DOLE added that Ordidor “was cooperative and cordial” during the meeting, promised to delete the said posts, and informed them that she won’t do it again.

Ordidor, DOLE said, also swore that she would upload a video of her public apology to Duterte and to the people in government as of 9 p.m. on the same day of the meeting.

But no such video was uploaded, DOLE said, and that instead, several posts on POLO Taichung’s Facebook page from several fake accounts that assured Ordidor’s cause and that also gave her support were seen.

DOLE also discovered that Ordidor used several social media accounts such as Lenale Elanel Egot, Mha Lan Dee, Linn Silawan, and Hampas Lupa, and has a group organized to “discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government.”