Fate of overseas workers

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