Philippines bans deployment of workers to South Korea

Sat, 27 Nov 2010

Manila - The Philippines on Saturday stopped the dispatch of its workers to South Korea amid increasing tensions with North Korea, a deputy presidential spokeswoman said.

The decision was reached by a team that included officials from the foreign and labor departments who closely monitor the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Abigail Valte said.

Valte also clarified that the actual number of documented and undocumented Filipinos in South Korea is 46,000 not 60,000 as earlier reported by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Philippine military has placed the air force and navy on alert for the possible repatriation of thousands of Philippine workers from South Korea if the conflict escalates after North Korea on Tuesday fired artillery shells at a South Korean island near their disputed western sea border, killing two soldiers and two civilians.

Armed forces spokesman Brigadier General Jose Mabanta said the military was also ready to deploy troops to South Korea if necessary to help evacuate Filipinos working and living there if the conflict worsens.

About 10 million Filipinos work overseas, and the money they send home accounts for 10 per cent of the Philippines' gross domestic product.

The Philippines on Friday condemned Tuesday's attack and called on North Korea to abide by its obligations under international law and the UN Charter.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355402,deployment-workers-south-korea.html.