Senators are set to conduct a probe into Filipino workers’ complaints over the alleged “incessant and unabated influx” of illegal Chinese workers into the country, especially in infrastructure projects, depriving local workers of livelihood opportunities.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto promptly affirmed on Monday his support for an inquiry into the Filipino workers’ lament in a text message to the BusinessMirror, saying: “I am in favor and advocate for buy local and hire local.”
This, as Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon declared readiness to pave the way for Senate hearings to look deeper into the complaints of local workers, saying, “Yes, I am willing to file a resolution asking the Senate Labor Committee to look into this.”
“We will support any investigation into that,” Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara assured.
At the same time, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III also declared “full support” for an upcoming inquiry into what he described as an illegal influx of Chinese workers in the country. “Bawal ’yan. Because if the work can be done by Filipinos then bawal ’yan.”
In turn, Sen. Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, confirmed readiness to convene the upcoming Senate inquiry soon as the matter is referred to the labor panel.
“Sure. I have been raising that issue, even in the budget hearings, and will raise it [anew] on the floor during the plenary debates on the CREATE bill,” Villanueva said, referring to the proposed law called Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises.
For their part, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Ronald dela Rosa readily replied in the affirmative when asked if they would support the appeal for a Senate probe, with dela Rosa stressing it with “a big yes!” in a separate text message sent to the BusinessMirror.
