Ex-president Arroyo accused of OWWA fund misuse

Former Solicitor General Frank Chavez files plunder case

I remember this event very clearly during the 2004 election campaign when then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made the PhilHealth cards, with her image on them, her sales pitch for the oversea worker’s votes.

Little did I know that what really happened is the reason why lawyer Frank Chavez, a former solicitor general, filed plunder charges against the former president before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The charges claim that Arroyo, now a member of the House of Representatives, allegedly ordered about P530 million from the funds belonging to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) from 2003 to 2004 diverted to PhilHealth, in time for the distribution of health cards during elections.

It should be noted that the money in this OWWA trust fund are contribution by millions of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who are not able to find jobs in the country and which money is intended to pay for repatriation during emergencies, medical care and other needs unique to overseas workers.

Arroyo, Romulo, Duque III

Also named respondents were former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo; then Philhealth president and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III; and former OWWA chief Virgilio Angelo.

One can already see from here an inter-departmental collusion under Arroyo’s administration, but the DOJ has still to determine if there is enough evidence for an indictment.

Chavez also claim that ex-president Arroyo diverted 21.5 million pesos ($494,000) to pay for diplomatic vehicles in the Middle East in support of the US-led war in Iraq and “humanitarian assistance” to Filipinos in Iraq in 2003.

These are indeed serious corruption charges among the many that Arroyo has been dodging and denying during her nine-year rule.

Let us hope Chavez is not shooting blanks especially on an important allegation as the misuse of the OWWA funds for electioneering purposes when it should have be saved for any untoward incidents involving OFWs and solely for their own benefit.

Government should help OFWs in distress instantly

It bothers me no end every time I read about oversea Filipino workers (OFW) who are in distress, yet help is being held hostage by our own government.

Recently an organization of migrant workers in the Middle East said that on a daily basis, they receive an average of three to five cases of distressed OFWs from various countries in the region.

What is appalling is that Filipino labor and welfare officers in the Middle East appear to be sleeping on the numerous cases of distress OFWs.

“Complaints from distressed OFWs and their plea for assistance just fall on deaf ears of Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) officials in the Eastern region despite numerous calls and emails for their appropriate action,” the group said.

I get distressed myself when I read about lowly Filipinos continuously leaving and trying their luck in foreign lands, uncertain about their fate, yet trusting in God that their sacrifice will pay off someday when they could have their own lot where they could build their own house and have all their children go to school.

But, there is totally nothing that I can do. I am just one of the over 90 million Filipinos belonging to a government that has shown nothing but ineptitude all these times in making these nation move forward, in lifting the people from the morass of poverty and deprivation, in providing jobs to the citizenry and in making sure that we, as a nation and people, are respected.

Yet, it mortifies me to think that instead of government using its tools and resources to strengthen the financial and economic condition of this country, the task now is left in the hands of the OFWs to ensure that the economy of this nation won’t collapse.

I am obviously referring to the remittances by our OFW workers.

Their remittances are what made them the country’s modern day heroes.

I am embarrassed at how government is taking for granted the OFW’s patriotic fervor.

I am confounded at the way government is despicably repaying the OFW’s heroism.

Unless and until government can offer the millions of striving, common “tao” working abroad a decent job here, government should assist the distressed OFWs the instant the receive the complaint and treat them with the dignity they deserve.

Government should help OFWs in distress instantly

It bothers me no end every time I read about oversea Filipino workers (OFW) who are in distress, yet help is being held hostage by our own government.

Recently an organization of migrant workers in the Middle East said that on a daily basis, they receive an average of three to five cases of distressed OFWs from various countries in the region.

What is appalling is that Filipino labor and welfare officers in the Middle East appear to be sleeping on the numerous cases of distress OFWs.

“Complaints from distressed OFWs and their plea for assistance just fall on deaf ears of Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) officials in the Eastern region despite numerous calls and emails for their appropriate action,” the group said.

I get distressed myself when I read about lowly Filipinos continuously leaving and trying their luck in foreign lands, uncertain about their fate, yet trusting in God that their sacrifice will pay off someday when they could have their own lot where they could build their own house and have all their children go to school.

But, there is totally nothing that I can do. I am just one of the over 90 million Filipinos belonging to a government that has shown nothing but ineptitude all these times in making these nation move forward, in lifting the people from the morass of poverty and deprivation, in providing jobs to the citizenry and in making sure that we, as a nation and people, are respected.

Yet, it mortifies me to think that instead of government using its tools and resources to strengthen the financial and economic condition of this country, the task now is left in the hands of the OFWs to ensure that the economy of this nation won’t collapse.

I am obviously referring to the remittances by our OFW workers.

Their remittances are what made them the country’s modern day heroes.

I am embarrassed at how government is taking for granted the OFWs’ patriotic fervor.

I am confounded at the way government is despicably repaying the OFWs heroism.

Unless and until government can offer the millions of striving, common “tao” working abroad a decent job here, government should assist the distressed OFWs the instant the receive the complaint and treat them with the dignity they deserve.