Baldoz slaps labor attaché on the wrist

MANILA, Philippines—Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has admonished the Philippine labor attaché in Hong Kong whom a domestic helper complained had verbally abused her while she was seeking his help about her illegal dismissal.

Baldoz said she found labor attaché Romulo Salud “liable for discourtesy in the course of performing his official duties.”

“He is hereby admonished and sternly warned to be more circumspect in his dealings with the public to avoid a similar incident in the future; otherwise, (he) shall be dealt with more severely,” the Secretary said in a January 12 letter to the United Filipinos (Unifil) in Hong Kong, which filed the complaint against Salud on behalf of the maid, Agnes Tenorio.

Baldoz, however, dismissed the complaint of abuse of authority and failure to perform official duties for “lack of merit.”

Dissatisfied

Unifil, which provided the media a copy of Baldoz’s letter and six-page ruling, expressed dissatisfaction with the labor chief’s decision.

“After months of lobbying and waiting, there is still no justice for Ms. Tenorio. An admonition is a mere consuelo de bobo (a fool’s consolation) and shows the culture of impunity in the government when it comes to erring government officials,” Unifil chair Dolores Balladares said in a statement from Hong Kong. She added that the penalty should have been stiffer.

“How can he be merely admonished for discourtesy when even the rule cited clearly imposes reprimand as the minimum sanction for a first offense of such nature? He is not a child who raised a tantrum but a government official responsible for the well-being of tens of thousands of Filipinos. His accountability for this wrongdoing should go beyond mere receiving an admonition,” she said.

She said Unifil was studying the decision and would release a formal response next week. The group was also planning to bring their complaint to the Presidential Adviser on OFW Concerns, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and to Congress.

Justice for all OFWs

“The case represents what is wrong with government services to overseas Filipino workers and this must be corrected. The justice we seek is not only for Ms. Tenorio but for all OFWs who are in distress and do not get the rightful assistance they deserve,” Balladares added.

Tenorio’s case gained prominence after Unifil posted on the video-sharing site YouTube a recorded conversation on October 10, 2010, between Salud and Tenorio in which the attaché berated the maid for deciding to pursue a labor case against her employer.

Tenorio had recorded the conversation and a YouTube video of her treatment sparked rage from Filipinos worldwide and more than 16,000 OFWs in Hong Kong signed a petition for Salud’s removal from office.

Salud was reportedly heard telling her to stop talking about her “rights,” and using phrases like “Nakakahiya ka Salud! Walang kang kwentang tao! (You are an embarassment, Salud! You are a worthless person!)”

In the recording, Salud was quoted as saying, “’Wag mong gagamitin yang karapatan. Dahil karapatan ko rin… kung tatanggapin kita o hindi. ’Wag mong pagdidiinan sa akin yang karapatan mo ha? (Don’t use that rights talk. Because it’s also my right… whether to accept you or not. Don’t keep insisting upon me that you have rights, you hear?)” –Jerome Aning, Hinge Inquirer Publications