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| Unifl-Migrante HK was among several Filcom organizations that protested against Bello's attempt to recall Dela Torre early last year |
One of the biggest alliances of migrant workers groups in Hong Kong has accused Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello of
ill motive in alluding corruption to a deal entered into by former Labor Attache
Jalilo dela Torre four months before he was recalled from his post.
United Filipinos in Hong Kong
said in a statement released a few hours ago: “We believe the accusation is
unfounded, and is only meant to malign Labatt Dela Torre. We see it as part of
a grandiose plan of the Duterte administration to remove pro-OFW government officials
who genuinely serve Filipinos not only in HK but also in other parts of the
world.”
Further on, Unifil said: “We know that the accusations
against Dela Torre are part of a continuing attack on him by rogue agencies and
sex traffickers angered by his decision to turn down their applications for
work permits for their victims.
In a statement released a day earlier, Bello announced the
scrapping of the agreement meant to upgrade the contract processing system at
the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, calling it a “midnight deal”, and ordering
a probe of Dela Torre.
Dela Torre responded by asserting that four groups were
asked to present proposals for the project, and the winning bidder, Polaris
Tools Limited, was selected by a panel made up of three POLO officers,
including him.
Dela Torre asked why Bello
He is said to be contemplating legal action to counter Bello
In affirming support for Dela Torre, Unifil-Migrante
recalled its decision to bestow a “Tanggol Manggagawa” award to the embattled
labor official for showing genuine concern to Filipino migrant workers,
especially those victimized by unscrupulous recruitment agencies and
traffickers.
“Labatt Dela Torre has been in public service for more than
30 years, and his integrity has never been questioned, until now,” said
Unifil-Migrante’s statement.
“He does not deserve to be the target of false accusations
and malicious innuendos. Instead, those who are accusing him now should be
investigated and their ill motives exposed.”
UNIFIL-MIGRANTE HK’S
STATEMENT:
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK) questions
the motive behind Secretary Silvestre Bello III's accusation that former HK Labor Attache Jalilo
dela Torre negotiated a “midnight deal” with a systems provider for the
Philippine Overseas Labor Office.
We believe the accusation is unfounded, and is only meant to
malign Labatt Dela Torre. We see it as part of a grandiose plan of the Duterte
administration to remove pro-OFW government officials who genuinely serve Filipinos
not only in HK but also in other parts of the world.
Dela Torre may not have been overtly critical of the
anti-migrant policies of the government due to his position as a civil servant,
but he has shown his genuine concern for Filipino migrant workers, especially
those victimized by unscrupulous recruitment agencies and the policies of our
own government.
We know that the accusations against Dela Torre are part of
a continuing attack on him by rogue agencies and sex traffickers angered by his
decision to turn down their applications for work permits for their victims.
It is in this context that we, from United Filipinos in HK,
a progressive alliance and one of the longest extant alliances in HK, reiterate
our support for Dela Torre. We showed this first when we awarded him with our
“Tanggol Manggagawa” award, an honor we rarely confer on individuals, much less
government officials.
This was after we saw how he comforted and cared for OFWs in
HK even during his days off. We saw how much time he put in his work, and how
scrupulous he was in dealing with groups or companies that would have put his office
and his name in a bad light.
Labatt Dela Torre has been in public service for more than
30 years, and his integrity has never been questioned, until now.
He does not deserve to be the target of false accusations
and malicious innuendos. Instead, those who are accusing him now should be
investigated and their ill motives exposed.
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