Fate of overseas workers

Your editorial on Filipino Sarah Balabagan (Saving workers from gallows, Oct. 12, 1995), drew serious attention not only to her plight as a victim of injustice, but to the suffering of countless other overseas workers who must have encountered similar fates. How sad it is that many of our brothers and sisters have compromised their lives and the wellbeing of their families in search of greener pastures, only to find themselves facing harsh environments most of them were ill-prepared for.

Now that Sarah Balabagan has been spared from death, the whole Filipino nation rejoices. Strong pressure from both the Philippine government and the international community must have prodded the al-Baloushi family and the UAE courts to listen to their conscience and spare her life. They say it is better to free a thousand guilty than to execute one innocent man. We cannot afford another Flor Contemplacion.

These incidents have forced the Philippine government to approach the problem of overseas contract employment with more sensitivity and caution. But it must strive to do better than that. Aside from so many magnanimous programs on overseas welfare (which by the way, need to take flight), it must exert supreme effort to punish those elements responsible for putting many lives at stake because of sheer greed. Life is precious. It should not be sacrificed even for a little prosperity.

MARIA JACINTA A. ARQUISOLA

Jakarta