JV Ejercito lauds DMW’s legal assistance program
October 05, 2022
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on
Wednesday commended the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for prioritizing
legal assistance for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“I’m very happy to hear that from the very
start na magkakaso, nandoon na dapat, na meron nang umaalalay. Kasi ang
nangyayari, madalas sa atin noon, noong wala pang DMW, magproprogress yung kaso
na walang abugado at walang legal assistance,” he said while presiding over the
first ever budget hearing on the newly created department,
“Nakakalungkot na ang OFWs ay modern day
heroes but everytime they are in distress, ang gobyerno ay wala doon para
tumulong at umalalay sa kanila. So, I’m very happy that you’re prioritizing
this,” he added.
During the 17th Congress, Ejercito filed
Senate Bill No. 157, which sought to amend the Migrant Workers Act of 1995 and
expand the use of the Legal Assistance Fund for OFWs.
Migrant Workers Secretary Maria Susana Ople
said the DMW’s legal assistance program will strive to help OFWs address their
legal concerns at the very site where the crimes against them took place.
“Kailangan po talaga magfile tayo ng cases
doon kung saan nangyari ang krimen imbes na napapauwi dito and then,
nagfefester po yung invisible emotional scars na di naaaddress kasi walang
access sa justice,” she said.
For his part, Migrant Workers Undersecretary
Hans Leo Cacdac assured the Senate that the department will not wait for OFWs
to reach a point of desperation before providing the appropriate legal aid.
“Yung legal assistance and legal practice will
not just begin at the point when a probable cause is established or when a case
is filed. Legal assistance begins upon the rendering of legal advice. Start po
‘yan ng proseso,” he said.
“Pag humingi ng saklolo, humingi na siya ng payong
legal tungkol sa kung anong gagawin, anong mga remedyo, nakapasok na po tayo
doon,” he added.
