Solon accuses DOLE of charging OFWs for free ID

ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto “John” Bertiz III has accused the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) of charging overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) P720 for OFW-ID cards, which should be given for free.

Bertiz said the OFW-ID card or iDOLE was donated by his party-list for OFWs.

“Sabi niyo noon, regalo ito ni Tatay Digong (President Rodrigo Duterte) sa ating mga OFWs. Libre ‘yung card, wala ng OEC (overseas employment certificate), ipakita lang ito sa Bureau of Immigration at makakaalis na kayo at wala ng pipila mga OFWs para kumuha ng OEC,” Bertiz said in his opening speech in a media forum.

“Ito ay libre para sa mga OFW but when you launched the iDOLE, you peg the OFW-ID for P720 which we strongly opposed, dahil gusto nyo pa kami pagkitaan mga OFWs!” he added.

Bertiz said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has been claiming this project as his number one achievement, which the lawmaker branded as “absolutely useless and does not even exist.”

“Secretary Bello claims that the OFW-ID card has great value as a substitute for the overseas employment certificate. But actually, it is just an ordinary ID card that no machine whatsoever can read. Pampakapal lang ng wallet ng OFW ‘yan,” the lawmaker said.

“We challenge Secretary Bello to join us at the NAIA. Let us count together the number of departing OFWs actually carrying the useless ID card that the Secretary claims is his No. 1 achievement,” he continued.

In an interview over radio dzBB earlier Thursday, Bello said he scrapped the OFW-ID project after learning that some personalities inside and outside of Dole wanted to “earn” from it.

“Merong nag-alok ng pera para diyan. Pinaghahatian. Sabi ko alam mo, itong iDOLE Card para sa OFW, dapat walang gastos ang gobyerno at dapat walang gastos ang OFW. Kaya kung ganyan ang plano niyo, mabuti pa scrap natin. Which I did,” he said.   /kga