Swift action for OFWs in Israel, Gaza sought

SEN. Christopher «Bong» Go on Monday urged the government to undertake swift action to protect Filipinos in Israel and the Gaza Strip as the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants continues to escalate.

In a statement, the senator cited the sacrifices overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) had to go through to provide a better life for their families.

«Most often, they face challenges such as getting caught up in the middle of conflicts like the current crisis in Israel,» Go said.

«That's why it pained me to learn about the death of three of our fellowmen due to the ongoing conflict there, including a nurse who chose not to leave her patient behind and fulfilled her job up to the very end before she got killed,» he said in Filipino.

Go was referring to Angeline Aguirre.

The two other Filipino victims have been identified as Loreta Alacre, a caregiver from Negros Oriental, and Paul Vincent Castelvi, a 42-year-old caregiver.

He called on the Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to extend help to the affected Filipinos and reassure their families in the Philippines about their safety.

Being vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, Go raised the need to conduct an inventory of all affected OFWs in Israel and Gaza as the situation in the region remains uncertain.