Duque wants names of missing Filipinos who arrived from South Africa published

(FILE) Health Secretary Francisco Duque III gives an update to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on August 30, 2021. JOEY DALUMPINES/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III wants the names of the still missing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who recently returned to the Philippines from South Africa published.

“What I am planning to suggest to the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) and DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), but we have to clear this because there are legal implications in having their names printed or published, para malaman ng kapit-bahay na ito pala ‘yun, hinahanap ka (so that their neighbors will know that authorities are searching for them),”  Duque told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

Duque said publishing the names of the OFWs could help authorities locate them but acknowledged that there could be legal consequences. Nevertheless, Duque said he will push to have their names published.

“We will still push it. I will push it and see to what extent I can do that because I strongly feel that this is a weakness in the system and sometimes unintended consequences of certain laws that weaken our ability to do more effective contact tracing or backtracing in this particular regard,” he said.

Authorities have so far located six of the eight OFWs who recently arrived in the Philippines from South Africa before the imposition of a travel ban on November 29 to block the entry of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said that the travelers gave wrong or incomplete information in their personal data sheets or were unresponsive.

Duque, meanwhile, urged the public to provide the correct contact details and personal information in their health declaration forms.

“Napakahalaga po nito. Huwag na po nating pahirapan, para din po sa inyong kapakanan ‘yan at sa inyo pong mga pamilya at komunidad para hindi po kayo makapanghawa kung saka-sakaling kayo ay mayroon palang Omicron variant,” said Duque.

(This is very important. Let us not make it hard for authorities. This is also for your sake and for your families and communities so that you won’t infect them if ever you are infected with the Omicron variant.)

“So far, ‘yung ganun lang, but maganda sana mapublish ang pangalan para mas maraming makatulong sa pagtukoy or paghanap sa kanila,” the Health Secretary added.

(So far, that’s what we can only do, but it would be better if we can publish their names so the public can help us find them)

/MUF