Pinay's death in Kabul justifies ban - OWWA chief

The death of spa supervisor Zennia Aguilan in Kabul, Afghanistan has given the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration reason to insist that the total deployment ban to four strife-torn countries is justified. The 31-year-old Aguilan died Tuesday afternoon because of serious injuries she sustained from the bombing Monday night at Serena Hotel, the only five-star hotel in Kabul, by militants. OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque said her death proves that there no safe place in Afghanistan and other strife-torn countries where the Philippine government has prohibited the deployment of workers. “Yun nangyari sa Kabul, proof ‘yun na walang safe place dun. ‘Yang mga ganyang incident ang ayaw naming mangyari kaya ipinatupad ang ban sa mga bansa na magulo. I hope maunawaan na ngayon ng mga kababayan natin ang desisyon na mag-impose ng ban," Roque told GMANews.TV when interviewed by phone. Aguilan, a graduate of a course on physical therapy in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, arrived in Afghanistan in July and started working at the Spa Resources International owned by a European. The spa is at the Serena Hotel in the Afghan capital. “Napag-alam natin na sa Dubai siya galing, and from Dubai inilipat siya sa Afghanistan. Kapag ganyan na cross-country ang deployment sa mga bansa na may ban tayo, wala tayong magagawa na maawat sila," Roque said. Aguilan first worked in Taiwan in 2004, moved to Dubai in 2006 and tried her luck in Afghanistan in July last year. The Philippine government banned the deployment of Filipinos to Afghanistan on Dec. 17, 2007. The ban to Iraq has been in effect since 2004 when the war erupted and to Lebanon since July last year. The ban to Nigeria was imposed in January 2007 following the abduction of 24 Filipino sailors by militants. Roque said host countries of OFWs have no obligation to inform the Philippine government of a worker’s movement from one country to another, including in countries where deployment is prohibited. “Ang kaya lang nating pigilan ‘yung manggagaling sa bansa natin. Pero kung nakalipat na sila sa ibang bansa, let’s say sa Dubai, then lilipat sila sa Afghanistan, wala tayong magagawa. Ang I’am sure kahit ang OFW hindi n’ya ipaaalam sa government na lilipat sila sa bansang may ban lalo na kung malaki ang offer," Roque said. . Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo on Monday asked Filipino workers in Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon to look for jobs elsewhere if they still want to go abroad. "Our aim is to protect citizens from harm's way," said Romulo is a press conference in Makati to launch a partnership with Ayala Foundation for the country’s hosting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in October. "There are other places they could go to. I hope they are only thinking that we are looking after their welfare," Romulo asserted. "The total ban continues. All you have to do is read the papers here in the Philippines and in other countries," he said when asked for the basis of keeping the ban despite appeals from Filipinos working in the four countries. To Filipinos insisting on going to strife-torn countries, Roque has this to say: “May kasabihan nga na kahit harangan ng sibat aalis, pero ang pakiusap natin mag-ingat sila." - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV