PH | DMW guarantees that private funds will be spent properly if they are given to them | MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) promised on Tuesday to spend secret funds in the right way if they are given to them under the 2024 budget.
In a public meeting on Tuesday, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said that it will be up to the Senate to decide if the agency should get these funds.
Olalia said, “We’re not asking for this confidential fund, but if we get help, we’ll use it right.” “We’re not asking for this confidential fund, but if we get help, we’ll use it right,” she said.
Monday, at a Senate meeting on the DMW budget, Tulfo said that if there is a department he thinks should get the confidential funds, it is the DMW.
He explained that the department could use the money to examine and go after illegal recruiters and scammers who try to get money from people who want to work abroad.
Tulfo said he doesn’t agree with giving confidential funds to different government agencies. However, he said that since more and more Filipinos are being hurt by illegal recruiters and people traffickers, an intelligence fund might as well be given to DMW.
“We need intelligence information, and DMW needs intelligence information, to find them, illegal recruiters, illegal recruitment companies, and scammers. That’s why I think they should have secret funds,” he said.
Olalia said that even without the secret fund, the DMW continues to do its job of protecting migrant workers.
He said that the department has an Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch, now called the Migrant Workers Protection Branch, that works hard to stop illegal recruitment.
Olalia went on to say that the DMW needs strong-willed and brave people who can do the job well to fight illegal recruitment.
“We’re going to use this [confidential fund] to make it easier for us to cover up illegal actions like these. This will help us get intelligence, and we’ll be able to find partners there who can help us find out who the illegal recruiters are and how they work. That will help us get intelligence data, and we can send our friends there to help (especially so we can find out who the illegal recruiters are and how they work), he said.
The DMW had asked for a budget of PHP29 billion for next year, but the Department of Budget and Management only gave them PHP15.309 billion. (via PNA)
