He prodded the government to exert all efforts and resources not to leave behind any of our OFWs in Israel. That they should all be brought back home to safety. How caring. How humanitarian. How fitting of a leader. But. . . . how stupid!
He is the chairman of a committee in Congress on OFWs. His actions or inactions by virtue of his political stature holds sway. In short, he is a leader in Philippine society. So why is he just talking about the matter? Just grandstanding?
If he really meant well for the OFWs he should have immediately secured a visa for Israel and booked the first flight going there along with a staff needed to set up an effective command center. He then could have immediately gone around the country to see how our OFWs are. Are they safe? Are their employers taking care of them properly? What do they need for them to go home to safety the soonest possible time?
He could have initiated also the steps necessary to see to the safety of Filipinos in nearby Lebanon, other neighboring countries, and even in Gaza. As reported, there are three known Filipinos in Gaza. There might be a lot more.
In Israel, we have a lot of compatriots there, about 30,000. In Lebanon, there are about 17,000 of them. With such numbers, the congressman and a small staff would be more than busy.
And with the congressman’s presence there, our embassy there like all of our other embassies elsewhere such as those in nearby areas which are always reported to be lackadaisical in attending to Filipinos, would be kicked into high gear.
Mind you, US President Joe Biden went to Israel despite the fact there are only a few Americans taken as hostages. Of course, he had other political agenda as head of the only super power in the world, but the bottom line is he cared. Or, at least, he wanted to show he did. Americans care for their citizens and what their leaders are doing to ensure their safety.
How about us, it is well accepted that our politicians are just good in talking. They just stay here in the comforts of home just delivering high sounding statements . . . let our thousands and thousands of OFWs get blasted into smithereens.**