The Department of Labor and Employment denied allegations of a Hong Kong based online service provider to Overseas Filipino Workers that “corruption exist within the DOLE who have been profiteering from OFWs for decades,” as it also denied that investigation on the bidding of HK online system has already been completed.
“Labor Undersecretary Claro Arellano has denied the claim of Polaris Tools Ltd., and said investigation is not yet over,” former DOLE undersecretary Nicon Fameronag said on Wednesday.
The alleged anomaly in the awarding of online system deal at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong had prompted a DOLE investigation.
Fameronag, who is also president of Lilac Center, accused the Hong Kong service provider of undermining the investigation and urged the DOLE to reprimand the company from issuing any statement.
“We urge Secretary Bello III to draw the attention of Polaris Tools Ltd. for its reckless public statements that tend to cast doubt on the DOLE investigating panel and its ongoing probe,” Fameronag said.
The advocacy group’s call came after Jaime Deverall, Polaris Tools president, publicly cast doubts on the legitimacy of the DOLE probe, saying, in an interview with the South China Morning Post, that “There’s a combination of corrupt officials within the Department of Labor and Employment and employment agencies who have been profiteering off Filipino workers for decades . . .”
According to the group, Polaris Tools officer David Bishop claimed that Deverall had already met with the head of the DOLE investigating team, but Undersecretary Arellano has denied the claim.
“Mr. Bishop is trying to condition the minds of the Filipino people and the OFWs that Polaris Tools Ltd. will be vindicated in the investigation, thus undermining the work of the investigators,” Fameronag said.
Fameronag also bared that Polaris Tools, through Bishop, had warned the Lilac Center to back off the investigation and threatened the Lilac Center.
“I have received information directly from Mr. Bishop threatening the Lilac Center. He said “this is not going to end well for you if you get caught in the middle of it, and even if you avoid jail time, your reputation is going to be destroyed,” Fameronag added.