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THE erstwhile Philippine Representative to the United Nations Lauro
Baja is a career diplomat who has served his country
well—particularly during his distinguished tenure in the demanding
New York posting where he was able to push through many of the
diplomatic initiatives proposed by the Philippine government.
So to see his name and that of his wife Norma
sullied by an alleged case of maltreatment filed by a Filipina who
was employed by the Bajas at their official residence in the United
States makes one wonder if there is a hidden hand orchestrating the
whole sorry saga—especially when one considers that Ambassador
Baja relinquished his post almost two years ago, and the maid in
question was only in their employ for three months. And if that is
the case then question has to be a baffling “why?”
In the light of the media mileage generated by
this controversy Sen. Mar Roxas has quite rightly called on the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to adopt clear and uniform rules
and standards in the employment of Filipino maids by all government
personnel posted abroad.
“There must be a uniform contract stipulating
a salary of not less than $400 a month, with stipulated number of
days off in a week, and an assurance of adequate food and decent
quarters,” says Roxas.
The senator added that any violations of this
contract by civil servants posted abroad must be the subject of
administrative sanctions and should be submitted to the Commission
on Appointments as part of documentary requirements.
Roxas goes on to suggest that every contract of
a domestic helper hired by a Filipino diplomat must be registered
with and countersigned by the personnel office of the department. He
noted that not only ambassadors but also the attachés of different
agencies are permitted to hire domestic helpers to look after their
household and children overseas.
“The adoption of fair and transparent
procedures in the hiring of Filipino maids by embassy personnel
regardless of rank will result in the protection of all the parties
concerned,” Roxas points out.
Touching on the controversy surrounding the case
filed by Marichu Suarez Baoanan, the Filipino maid who was employed
for a short period by Ambassador Baja and his wife, Norma, Roxas
states that this could have been prevented had the DFA been more
clear, assertive and transparent with its hiring policies in
relation to domestic helpers.
Roxas said regardless of who is telling the
truth, the lesson of the story is clear: the universal principles of
decent work apply to all.
“When a Filipino domestic helper suffers abuse
or is maltreated by her employer, our embassy becomes her first
place of refuge.
“In that sense, we can’t have a set of
standards for foreign employers and none at all for Filipino
diplomats because this affects the confidence of our own workers in
the objectivity, humanity and professionalism of our own Foreign
Service,” said Roxas.
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Rep. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza of Cotabato has
sought the help of her colleagues in Congress in passing new
legislation that would hold “customers” or “guests”
criminally liable if they sexually harass employees of
establishments such has hotels, restaurants and department stores.
Taliño-Mendoza was referring to House Bill
2895, which proposes to expand the coverage of the 1995 Anti-Sexual
Harassment Law, or Republic Act 7877, to include patrons who torment
the staff of service-oriented industries.
At present, the law provides that work or
training-related sexual harassment may be committed only by “an
employer, employee, manager, supervisor or agent of the employer
who, having influence or moral ascendancy over another in a work or
training environment, demands, requests or otherwise requires any
sexual favor from another.”
“We’ve had cases of sexual harassment
perpetrated by physicians against medical representatives, by
customers against salesladies, by restaurants guests against
waitresses and even by hotel patrons against housekeeping staff,”
she pointed out.
HB 2895 also seeks to raise the penalty for
sexual harassment to one to two years in prison, plus a fine of up
to P50,000. The current penalty is one to six months in prison, plus
a fine of up to P20,000.
Four party-list Representatives—Narciso
Santiago 3rd of the Alliance for Rural Concerns, Leonila Chavez of
Butil, Robert Raymund Estrella of Abono and Edgar Valdez of Apec—introduced
HB 2895.
The country’s largest labor group, the Trade
Union Congress of the Philippines, is also supporting the measure.
rjottings@yahoo.com
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