PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino has ordered Vice President Jejomar Binay and Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima to look into cases of overseas Filipino workers involved in drug
trafficking and find out how and why they managed to leave the country undetected by airport
scanners and other technologies.
The President issued the order in the wake of the inevitable execution by lethal injection on
Wednesday of three Filipino drug mules in China.
The President met Vice President Binay and Secretary de Lima Monday and asked them to
study the drug trafficking problem and identify the recruiters who use OFWs as drug mules.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said deployment agencies like the Philippine
Overseas Employment Authority and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration must
make sure that OFWs deployed abroad are protected from being turned into drug carriers by
private individuals or recruitment agencies.
Lacierda said the Aquino administration is issuing a stern warning against those using OFWs
in their drug trafficking and human trafficking activities. He said the government will go after
these individuals and recruitment agencies and make sure they get punished. (PCOO/PIA)
