P-Noy suspends OFW deployment to Korea

MANILA, Philippines –  President Aquino has suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to South Korea while the government assesses the situation in the Korean Peninsula.

This, as tensions continue to rise in the Korean Peninsula following North Korea’s artillery attacks Tuesday on a tiny island claimed by Seoul.

Aquino made the decision upon the advice of his security cluster and of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Labor and Employment, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over government-run radio station dzRB.

“The decision to hold the deployment of workers was a result of the government team’s decision, upon the President’s instructions, to assess the situation continually and take the corresponding action,” Valte later told reporters.

There are more than 46,000 Filipino workers in the Korean peninsula, mostly in South Korea. Undocumented workers reportedly number 11,000.

But in a text message to The STAR, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the government’s order was for the deferment for one week of the deployment of 50 workers.

She said the crisis committee recommended the deferment “as a matter of caution and prudence.”

She said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has already processed the employment papers of the 50 workers.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the workers were supposed to leave tomorrow. He added that two of the eight Filipinos in North Korea are vacationing in the Philippines.

“At this point, we’re still hoping that tensions will ease and that tensions will not escalate. But having said that, the President’s order is to test the evacuation plan, how it can be revised so that if and when the need arises, our fellow Filipinos will not be left behind there,” Valte said.

Valte said the government would rather be prudent in its actions, although she stressed it was not expecting tensions to escalate.

The President earlier called for a more concrete evacuation and contingency plan to ensure the safety of Filipinos in the Korean peninsula.

The Philippines had asked Japan to open its doors to Filipino evacuees in the event of a full-blown war.

“Hopefully, there would be no need for us to use the contingency plan,” Valte said.

Don’t let guard down

Lawmakers, meanwhile, urged the DFA and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to keep their contingency plans active even if they see no sign yet of the crisis emerging into a full-scale war.

Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara, chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, said the DFA and OWWA should continuously monitor the conditions of Filipinos in South Korea.

“Whenever a crisis erupts in a particular nation like war, earthquakes or disasters, it is the job of the DFA to monitor the situation of our overseas Filipino workers and other Filipinos residing in that country,” Bichara said.

“The DFA usually mobilizes its personnel to immediately check on the condition and status of Filipinos,” he said.

He said what the DFA usually does is to immediately prepare a quick response and contingency plan based on situation reports submitted by its personnel.

“We should not worry because the DFA adopts a standard procedure during such a situation,” he said.

Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla said the government should make sure contingency plans may be carried out at a moment’s notice.

“Government must be fully prepared to assist and evacuate Filipinos there in case the situation worsens,” Padilla said.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello, chairman of the committee on overseas workers affairs, asked the DFA “to please find out the real situation of our OFWs there to ensure that their rights are being respected.”

Bello said the Philippine embassy in South Korea should be on high alert and that its labor attaché should ensure that an evacuation plan covers every Filipino living and working in the peninsula.

“But I think the present situation will not lead to a generalized war. Nevertheless, we should still be prepared at all times to secure our OFWs and other Filipinos there,” Bello said.

“All our offices abroad should have an evacuation plan for them in case an emergency or contingency erupts. We should learn from our experience in Thailand where last May, trouble erupted but it seemed we did not have any contingency plan,” he said.

“Our OFWs called up our embassy but their calls were unanswered. It is so important for our embassies to have hotlines for our OFWs,” he pointed out.

The Philippines called North Korea’s shelling of the tiny Yeonpyeong Island claimed by South Korea a “clear and flagrant violation of international law” and praised Seoul for exercising restraint.

“The Philippines calls for an end to provocative actions that raise tensions and adversely affect peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia Pacific region,” Malacañang said.

The artillery attack on the island killed two marines and two civilians and destroyed more than a dozen houses and buildings. It was considered the most brazen attack by North Korea since the armistice in 1953.

The attack was followed by the deployment by the US of a carrier battle group led by nuclear-powered USS George Washington to Korean waters. The US said the sending of the warships was part of its joint military exercise with South Korea scheduled today.

Pyongyang and ally China called the military exercise a provocation and warned of an escalation of the conflict if the US and South Korean forces pushed through with the military maneuvers. –Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) with Sheila Crisostomo, Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero, AP,