Mandaluyong city: The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has revealed that approximately 3,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are currently entangled in legal battles abroad, with 24 individuals facing death row.
According to Philippines News Agency, during a media briefing, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac emphasized that the Philippine government, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is actively assisting these OFWs by providing legal support. Cacdac mentioned that the migrant workers' offices are instructed to ensure the availability of more than one lawyer for handling these cases.
Saudi Arabia reportedly has the highest number of Filipinos with legal issues due to its large OFW population. The cases range from labor disputes to criminal charges across various regions. Many of the death row cases have been inherited from the DFA following the creation of the DMW in 2021.
DMW Assistant Secretary for Welfare Maria Regina Galias highlighted that a significant number of death row cases are drug-related, particularly in Malaysia, where drug offenses can lead to capital punishment. Other death row cases are scattered across the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and Africa.
To manage the extensive caseload, Cacdac stated that the DMW collaborates with 25 retained foreign law firms and 10 in-house lawyers, maintaining close coordination with the DFA, as well as Philippine embassies and consulates. He noted that two death row cases in Saudi Arabia have been successfully commuted, although specific details were withheld for privacy reasons.
The number of Filipinos on death row has decreased significantly, from a previous range of 40 to 70 cases, and from 49 last year to 24 this year. Cacdac credited this reduction to sustained legal representation, bilateral engagement, and reforms in host countries, particularly Malaysia, which have introduced legal avenues for commutation of death sentences.
Cacdac reassured the public of the DMW's commitment to monitoring the welfare of OFWs facing legal challenges, including conducting jail visitations and regularly updating families on the cases and assistance provided. He affirmed, "We visit the families, we talk to the families, and we assist them."
