Officials in the embassies of the Philippines located in Jordan, Kuwait and Syria have been alleged to have formed prostitution rings to sexually abuse female distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in exchange for their repatriation.

On Tuesday, Walden Bello, an Akbayan partylist representative, identified the officials as:

  • Blas Marquez, a contractual employee of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait;
  • Mario Antonio, the assistant labor attaché in Jordan; and,
  • A certain "Kim," found to be a member of the Augmentation Team of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at the embassy in Damascus, Syria

Mr Bello, who chairs the House committee on overseas workers' affairs, said his office got hold of the information right from the co-workers of the three accused. The three were alleged to be running sex operations against distressed Filipino women staying at OFW shelters in exchange for their repatriation back home.

Philippine Embassies in Jordan, Kuwait, Syria Alleged as Prostitution Dens for OFWs in Distress, Sex in Exchange for Repatriation

"Sexual abuse on our womenfolk perpetrated by their hosts in a foreign country is an awful crime," Mr Bello said. "But there is something more awful, and that is their exploitation by their own compatriots in that strange land."

"And it is triply terrible when they are exploited sexually by government officials who are supposed to protect them," he added.

Accusations

Mr Antonio was accused of letting female OFWs "out at night to service the sexual needs of wealthy Palestinian men in Amman," charging patrons as much as $1,000 a night for services. Mr Bello alleged the embassy in Jordan is aware of the ongoings but cannot make a decisive action because Mr Antonio "has not been caught in the act."

Mr Bellow further accused that Labor officials based in Manila know of the accusations against the man, "yet they pretend to hear nothing and refuse to recall him." Mr Antonio, who had been also posted in Philippine embassies in Beirut, Lebanon and Tokyo, Japan, was alleged to likewise have operated prostitution rings in the two countries.

Mr Marquez, on the other hand, has been alleged to be an expert operating prostitution rings in the Philippine embassy in Kuwait

"There have been many complaints against him but apparently, POLO officials have yet to condone him because he might spill the beans as he knows many unlawful incidents in POLO," Mr Bello said, citing a confidential report by a high-ranking official who conducted interviews with DFA and POLO staff in Kuwait.

"We ask: why, with all the evidence of his using OFWs as prostitutes and his cheating them, is this sexual predator allowed to remain in his post," Mr Bello said. "How does a mere local hire hold a whole embassy to his nefarious activities?"

The other accused nicknamed Kim from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Syria was caught "in an intimate act with a female OFW" at the Embassy's shelter for distressed workers.

It was discovered "Kim" had been involved in at least four "intimate relationships" with distressed OFWs based in Syria.

"We cannot understand the reason for such kid's glove treatment of an individual who has a record of sexually exploiting OFWs," Mr Bello said.

Shocked

Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz had ordered the creation of an investigation team to "get to the bottom" of the sex-for-fly activities by POLO officers in Kuwait.

"I am resolved to get to the bottom of any accusation of wrongdoing against our people to uphold their credibility and integrity," Ms Baldoz, currently in Geneva for an international conference, said in a statement.

"We do not condone any inappropriate act of any official and personnel, most especially if it involves the performance of their official duties," she said.

Raul Hernandez, assistant secretary and DFA spokespeman, admitted the government agency is gutted with the allegations of its very embassy personnel commiting such acts.

"Our core interest is to protect our OFWs in every instance," Mr Hernandez said in a statement. "We are disturbed by the news reports that we are receiving regarding the sex-related offenses allegedly committed by embassy personnel."

Mr Bello had specifically requested for the dismissal of the three men from government service as well as for their criminal prosecution.

"We must do this because this is what justice demands. We must do this to restore the faith of our OFWs in our government's ability to protect them," he said.