PH won’t ban OFWs from HK

MANILA, Philippine — Malacañang will not bar Filipinos from working in Hong Kong despite massive protests in the semiautonomous city over democratic reforms.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) was closely monitoring the situation.

“The [Dole] protocol now is to ask Filipinos there to avoid those places where there are protests [and] marches so they won’t be involved,” Panelo said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told Radyo Inquirer that he would meet with an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) organization on Tuesday to “find out its position about a possible deployment ban because that is under consideration by the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration).”

While a Filipino was arrested for allegedly participating in the protests in Hong Kong, OFWs have categorically denied taking part in them, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday night.