22 July 2015 – The DFA reports that 12 Filipinas have been rescued from a human trafficking syndicate who brought them to Manado, Indonesia enroute to certain jobs in the Middle East.

Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Jesus I. Yabes led a consular team to Manado to look into the situation of the rescued Filipinas who are temporarily being accommodated at the Immigration Detention Center in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia while awaiting their repatriation to the Philippines. In their meeting, the Filipinas narrated to Undersecretary Yabes the circumstances which brought them to Indonesia. Undersecretary Yabes counseled them to go through regular deployment channels for migrant workers by submitting their documents to the Philippine Overseas Employment Association (POEA) to ensure that they are covered by the safety nets provided by the Philippine Government.

The rescued Filipinas come from different regions of the Philippines. They are expected to be brought back to Manila as soon as the Philippine Consulate General in Manado has obtained their plane tickets and completed departure procedures set by Indonesian authorities for their repatriation.

When in Manado, Undersecretary Yabes also coordinated the preparations for the repatriation of 20 Filipino fishermen who were arrested by Indonesian authorities for illegal entry and illegally fishing in Indonesian waters. The Filipino fishermen are housed in the Manado Immigration Detention Center but are otherwise permitted to roam around the premises unguarded. Their fishing bancas and vessels were confiscated by Indonesia authorities but the fishermen were released for eventual repatriation to the Philippines.

The DFA reports that 225 Filipino fishermen have been repatriated from Indonesia during the first half of 2015 after they were arrested for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters. In 2014, data from the Philippine Consulate General indicated that 327 Filipino fishermen were arrested by Indonesian authorities. END