MANILA – Sen. Joel Villanueva sought a faster probe into the deaths of two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Lebanon and Saudi Arabia who reportedly committed suicide.
Villanueva urged authorities in Beirut and Riyadh to “immediately finish the investigation on whether there was foul play.”
He also asked the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Department of Foreign Affairs to “extend all necessary assistance” to the dead OFWs and their loved ones.
Villanueva, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources, expressed sympathies to the workers’ families.
“We would also like to stress the importance of mental health among our OFWs who are experiencing depression while they are away from their families,” he said.
Moreover he pushed for the passage of Senate Bill 1819, or “An Act Establishing the Office for Social Welfare Attaché,” which shall provide “adequate and timely social, economic and legal services to OFWs” and allow the “deployment of social welfare attachés to manage cases of OFWs in distress.”
Moreover the new office would ensure coordination among agencies and various groups to address the psychosocial needs of distressed OFWs, he said.
“We believe that having permanent social welfare attachés in our embassies can help prevent incidents of suicide and cases of abuse against our modern-day heroes,” said Villanueva./PN
