As of this hour, the Department of Foreign Affairs-Crisis Management Team cannot confirm earlier media reports regarding the supposed release of Robert Theodore Villaflor Tarongoy by his abductors.      Charge d’ Affaires Eric Endaya of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad is speaking with our contacts in Iraq for any information on Robert.   These contacts have assisted us in our efforts to seek the freedom of Mr. Angelo de la Cruz last July.

Mr. Endaya is also speaking with officials of the Saudi Trading and Contracting or SATCO, the employer of Robert, on measures to locate the abducted OFW.

Mr. Endaya shall advice the Department when he has actual physical possession of Robert.

In the meantime, the Philippine Government has undertaken the following measures to strictly implement the ban on the deployment of OFWs to Iraq:

            - the DFA will reiterate its request to the Interim Government of Iraq to implement the OFW deployment ban, and to all countries with common borders with it, as well as those  countries being used as transit points, not to allow entry into Iraq of Filipino travelers;

            - the DFA has instructed the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad to identify employers of OFWs in Iraq that are violating the  ban;

            - the DFA has appealed to all OFWs in the Middle East particularly in Iraq to call the Philippine Embassy in their host country for any assistance, through the Embassy hotlines established since the time of Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople;

            - the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) shall conduct surveillance – for possible prosecution under R.A.8042 – The Migrant Workers’ Act  - of recruitment agencies violating the ban;

            - the POEA to immediately preventively suspend recruitment agencies found violating the ban;

            - the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to enhance passenger assessment and monitoring of out-bound Filipino passengers; conduct secondary assessment of those profiled out-bound “tourist/workers” and “business-visa/workers”; and implement off-loading procedures of verified “tourist/workers” and “business-visa/workers”;

            - the BI to distribute informative flyers to departing passengers; and

            - the Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (PAIRTF) under Capt. Reynaldo Jaylo shall closely coordinate with the BI in the latter’s operations.

These measures were taken during the inter-agency meeting held yesterday  to put a stop to the continued violations of the  OFW deployment ban to Iraq.   The meeting was attended by  representatives of the DFA, DOLE, OWWA, POEA, BI and PAIRTF.

It is the policy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to ensure the safety and well being of all Filipinos overseas.   In line with this policy, the Government will do everything to secure the safe release of Robert  Tarongoy.END