More Overseas Filipino Workers Come Home Dead
September 13, 1998 - 0:0
MANILA - The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) returning to the Philippines in coffins has increased by 11 per cent in the first half of 1998, according to a church study published Saturday. The Catholic bishops' conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) said the increase was alarming since it came amid a decline in deployment from January to June. The ECMI, which conducted the survey, also expressed concern that many of those sent home had missing organs.
President Joseph Estrada has already ordered a probe into allegations that syndicates are hiring Filipino workers only to kill them and sell their organs. According to the study, 312 dead workers came home in the first six months of 1998, compared to 286 in the same period last year. while the bulk of the dead OFWs or 122 came from the Middle East, there was an increase in the number of dead workers from Asia. From 16 Asian destinations, 133 dead OFWs came home, up from 84 last year.
The study particularly noted the increase in Tokyo with 21 cases and Seoul with 20 cases. Unlike last year when the main causes of death were heart attack and vehicular accidents, 99 died of natural causes this year. There were 51 deaths involving heart failure, 32 from unknown cause or those who died under mysterious circumstances, 29 due to drowning and 25 due to car mishaps.
Suicide cases went down to 12 this year, from 15 in 1997. Amid reports of international syndicates preying on Filipino workers for their internal organs, Estrada also ordered a crackdown against illegal recruiters who work with the criminal groups. He directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration to conduct a massive information campaign in the provinces, where most Overseas workers come from.
The POEA is to sent a team to Taiwan next week to investigate the case of a Filipino maid, Ely Rose Macasing Miguel, who was reported to have committed suicide last year. Her family claims she was killed by members of a syndicate selling internal organs. Presidential Adviser on OFW Affairs William Gatchalian earlier reported that the syndicates selling body organs cover-up their crime by passing off the death of their victims as suicide cases.
The internal organs are often sold by the syndicate at exorbitant rates to medical schools and to patients needing transplants. There are an estimated 10 million Filipinos working abroad, who remit an average of 7 billion dollars annually. (DPA)
President Joseph Estrada has already ordered a probe into allegations that syndicates are hiring Filipino workers only to kill them and sell their organs. According to the study, 312 dead workers came home in the first six months of 1998, compared to 286 in the same period last year. while the bulk of the dead OFWs or 122 came from the Middle East, there was an increase in the number of dead workers from Asia. From 16 Asian destinations, 133 dead OFWs came home, up from 84 last year.
The study particularly noted the increase in Tokyo with 21 cases and Seoul with 20 cases. Unlike last year when the main causes of death were heart attack and vehicular accidents, 99 died of natural causes this year. There were 51 deaths involving heart failure, 32 from unknown cause or those who died under mysterious circumstances, 29 due to drowning and 25 due to car mishaps.
Suicide cases went down to 12 this year, from 15 in 1997. Amid reports of international syndicates preying on Filipino workers for their internal organs, Estrada also ordered a crackdown against illegal recruiters who work with the criminal groups. He directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration to conduct a massive information campaign in the provinces, where most Overseas workers come from.
The POEA is to sent a team to Taiwan next week to investigate the case of a Filipino maid, Ely Rose Macasing Miguel, who was reported to have committed suicide last year. Her family claims she was killed by members of a syndicate selling internal organs. Presidential Adviser on OFW Affairs William Gatchalian earlier reported that the syndicates selling body organs cover-up their crime by passing off the death of their victims as suicide cases.
The internal organs are often sold by the syndicate at exorbitant rates to medical schools and to patients needing transplants. There are an estimated 10 million Filipinos working abroad, who remit an average of 7 billion dollars annually. (DPA)