
DFA Link with OFWs’ Deployment in Iraq
Maria Theresa S. Samante, Jul 2, 2006
The Department of Foreign Affairs officials were linked to the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in
Passport not marked with “Not valid for travel to
According to DFA spokesman Bert Asuque, they cannot rule out the possibility that one or two passports did not get stamped "Not valid for travel to
Asuque blamed human error and gave the assurance the rare slips could not have led to a proliferation of unmarked passports.
He also added that anybody holding a Philippine passport cannot enter
He also said that Filipinos who are working in
According to source, it is the new big racket at the DFA and Malacanang should not be surprise if more and more OFWs are turning up in
About 3,000 Filipinos were estimated working in
The source added that the issuance of unmarked passports is usually facilitated by the manpower company recruiting the workers or even by the foreign employer.
The ban was imposed by President Arroyo to prevent Filipinos from the hostage-taking of Iraqi militants like what had happened with Angelo de la Cruz, a driver who was abducted by Iraqi militants while crossing the Iraqi border.