The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is seeking to increase retainer agreements with law offices in other countries to help aid Filipinos who are in legal trouble, especially those on death row. This follows President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to work double time in assisting Filipinos who are facing death sentences.
There are currently 85 Filipinos on death row in other countries, 25 of whom are in Saudi Arabia. Just last week, a Malaysian court sentenced nine Filipinos to death over the Sabah standoff that killed at least 70 people. This increases the number to 92 OFWs on death row abroad.
In January, OFW Jakatia Pawa was executed by hanging in Kuwait for killing her employer’s daughter. The DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait only learned about her case the day before her impending execution on Jan. 24.
There are currently 85 Filipinos on death row in other countries, 25 of whom are in Saudi Arabia. Just last week, a Malaysian court sentenced nine Filipinos to death over the Sabah standoff that killed at least 70 people. This increases the number to 92 OFWs on death row abroad.
In January, OFW Jakatia Pawa was executed by hanging in Kuwait for killing her employer’s daughter. The DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait only learned about her case the day before her impending execution on Jan. 24.
To avoid future executions of Filipinos abroad, Quezon City representative Winnie Castelo has called for the need to draft a comprehensive legal assistance program. He has requested for the DFA and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to provide a complete inventory of the OFWs facing jail term and their corresponding court cases in their host country.
With the list of OFWs facing jail terms and their corresponding court cases in their host countries, Castelo said this would enable the House of Representatives to draft a comprehensive legal assistance program to prevent future executions.
The DFA is now reviewing all the death sentences and has instructed the Office of Public Diplomacy to go through the details of the case and prepare to file an appeal, according to Cayetano.
This is welcome news and development. In the past, the government often criticized for acting slowly in cases that involves OFWs on death row. Usually, legal assistance by the Philippine Government is provided at the final stages of conviction, usually resulting in failed appeals and execution.
"The President wants double time and one hundred percent effort," said DFA Secretary Cayetano. "Preemptive or proactive, right from the start (of the case)."he added.
During his initial appointment as DFA Secretary, he said the department would prioritize the welfare, protection, and comfort of overseas Filipino workers. This step, to increase the number of foreign law firms assisting OFWs around the world, is a step in the right direction.
source: Asian Journal, GMA
Employment Agencies for OFWs Need DOLE Sec Approval Starting Now - Gets Warning
![Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has assumed full authority in the licensing of overseas placement agencies, a function previously delegated to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). In Administrative Order No. 241 series of 2017, Bello recalled a 1998 DOLE directive that authorized the POEA Administrator to act on matters governing overseas employment. Following the latest order, the confirmation of the issuance and renewal of licenses of recruitment agencies and other matters governing overseas employment will have to pass to the labor secretary for approval. This means that the DOLE Secretary will have the authority to approve or deny the following processes: all processed applications on the issuance and renewal of licenses authorities to engage in the recruitment and placement of workers for overseas employment the grant of exemption from the ban on direct hiring the grant exemptions from the age requirements for overseas workers Administrative Order No. 241 series of 2017 recalls Administrative Order No.144 Series of 1998. While the DOLE Secretary is essentially taking in the reins of Filipino overseas employment, all applications relative to the items mentioned above remain to be filed with and processed by the POEA in accordance with existing rules and procedures. The said administrative order was issued to ensure that only the operation of legitimate and responsible recruitment agencies are allowed to safeguard the welfare and security of OFWs and their families and to develop and effectively implement programs on the deployment of migrant workers. We can remember a few months ago that DOLE has discovered a money-making scheme within POEA. Some employees were taking advantage of the grant of exemption in relation to the ban of direct-hiring, taking in bribes as payment for providing the exemption bypassing the established procedure. Secretary Bello has since suspended direct-hiring pending investigation. After a few weeks, he has reinstated direct-hiring, but he has also promised massive reshuffling in the agency. Now, we can say that the secretary is taking full control of the situation.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5d3oPjMpOLy8_sZ_oI-5zXuzucCaSTyL9InLwNn16yNR8UB2ytj9ANb3mz4HZRIYu3xjmY-GtW5-IC2mHNPn0B3pdzbbo0_DIT-asNbfZp3i3qKmCfPgN0TyU41PucSSp-FD/s640/Cover.png)
SAUDI SIN TAX: Price of Soft Drinks Increase, Cigarette Doubles
![Prices of cigarettes and energy drinks have doubled with the implementation of an excise tax that became effective midnight Saturday in a measure unprecedented in the Kingdom. The excise tax, commonly known as a “sin tax,” is imposed on “unhealthy products” that are likely to cause health problems and eventually increase medical expenses paid by individuals or the government, according to the General Authority of Zakat and Tax (GAZT) official website. Items that are now taxed include: cigarettes and cigar products, energy drinks and softdrinks. It is unclear if other sugary beverages are included since some shops still sell these at normal prices. A few days prior to the implementation, some smokers struggled to find boxes of their usual cigarettes. Consumers attempted to stock up on cigarettes at their pre-tax price, while suppliers were trying to keep the products off the shelves until the prices rose. At one of the main supermarkets in Jeddah, a shelf stacker said “There was nothing here yesterday,” pointing at the shelf. “Yesterday, the price was normal. But today, a soft drink can is SR2.25 ($0.60).” Some supermarkets had also kept the newly taxed drinks away from customers so they are sold 50 percent higher in price in the case of soft drinks, and double the price for energy drinks. Consumers will now pay SR12 at one supermarket for a 250ml can of a popular taurine drink, which is priced at SR11.90 at another supermarket. Aside from tags of doubled priced energy drinks, a new sign has been posted on market shelves stating: “Energy drinks harmful to health.” The full warning matches the text on beverage cans. This is part of the new move to curb consumption of sugary and energy drinks in the kingdom. The tax authority urged producers and suppliers of taxable goods to register for the excise tax, the GAZT official website stated. The taxing body expects to lower consumption by people with limited income of the taxed products after the price hike. Officials of Saudi General Authority of Zakat and Tax, the entity responsible for collecting VAT and excise tax, have told local media that they expect excise tax revenues of $1.87 billion (SR7bn) in just six months. A regular smoker and energy-drinks lover from Jeddah said the move would not make her quit. “It’s an extra strain on the pocket, but it’s a habit that I can’t just quit or cut down on,” she said. She bought her last pack of the cigarettes she smokes for SR12 one day before the tax into effect. Now it is SR24. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are also set to implement a value-added tax (VAT) of 5 percent on certain goods beginning in 2018. This is just the beginning of taxation imposed on goods in the Kingdom. Starting 2018, a 5%VAT will be implemented on goods throughout the GCC - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and UAE.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aTOhR4VofYyjYFvUdxvktv03ADWiUYtNN85tTt478o-HatRhdxD2HQpj3sxNEOBZxZ-lp9k1eYM_vTFDpa8uvIEHJ8dZ4afCn1E7E6bHLa1024IsritU1P0rtV2CMhjBGMpz/s640/template.png)
Companies Start Collecting Dependent's Fee For Saudi Expats
![In December of 2016, the Saudi Government has unveiled their 2017 Budget. It was a time of great upheaval in the kingdom as the price of oil remains very low and the government is losing money everyday. The budget was, by any account, revolutionary. As the Saudi Government works overtime to balance their declining finances, they started to look at other sources of income outside the oil industry. Among the "new" sources of income is the imposition of new fees to the massive population of expatriates in the kingdom. One such levy is about to be implemented next month. The Dependent's Fee is a 100-Riyal monthly fee levied for each dependent of an expatriate worker. It means, an expatriate worker (or his employer?) should pay an annual fee of SR1200.00 for EACH dependent living with the employee in the kingdom. The amount is said to be collected annually during Iqama (residency card) renewal. In 2018, the amount will double, then triple in 2019. By year 2020, the Dependent's Fee would be four times, or SR400 per month! OFWs in Saudi are starting to share the information that their companies are giving out memos to expatriate workers regarding the Dependent's Fee. Expatriates have sent images of such notices to friends and relatives using What's App or FB Messenger. Most pictures taken does not show the company logo, perhaps to avoid a backlash from the employer, but some contain the company logos, which gives more credence to the report. Check out the images below so you can judge for yourself. We have tried several times to verify the story, but knowing the Saudi Government, any official announcement regarding this issue is done only via the Ministry of Interior. It is still unclear whether who will shoulder the new fees. While the Saudi Labor Law clearly states that employers must shoulder all costs and imposed fees related to hiring an expatriate worker, some companies split the cost with their employees. Many, however, simply pass the costs to their employers, taking-advantage of the workers lack of knowledge on local labor laws. The number of OFWs with dependents in Saudi Arabia is currently unclear. One thing is for sure, if this plan continues, then their numbers will surely decrease. As such, the Philippine government should also prepare for a surge of Filipino OFWs and their dependents, most of whom will surely go home in the next few years.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCw_IHUy4VrLFUsyKKivNnGXBJJ68PMR-w1IVD8pHx-9l-CSHL9BCwjhxkCYX3n_NjdrAxYTCdej296V27mFXvv1G4tULHCRi8V2Sq1zH6w46sWLAxWZj7NnaLpJqmS-QvJTh/s640/template.png)
![Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has assumed full authority in the licensing of overseas placement agencies, a function previously delegated to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). In Administrative Order No. 241 series of 2017, Bello recalled a 1998 DOLE directive that authorized the POEA Administrator to act on matters governing overseas employment. Following the latest order, the confirmation of the issuance and renewal of licenses of recruitment agencies and other matters governing overseas employment will have to pass to the labor secretary for approval. This means that the DOLE Secretary will have the authority to approve or deny the following processes: all processed applications on the issuance and renewal of licenses authorities to engage in the recruitment and placement of workers for overseas employment the grant of exemption from the ban on direct hiring the grant exemptions from the age requirements for overseas workers Administrative Order No. 241 series of 2017 recalls Administrative Order No.144 Series of 1998. While the DOLE Secretary is essentially taking in the reins of Filipino overseas employment, all applications relative to the items mentioned above remain to be filed with and processed by the POEA in accordance with existing rules and procedures. The said administrative order was issued to ensure that only the operation of legitimate and responsible recruitment agencies are allowed to safeguard the welfare and security of OFWs and their families and to develop and effectively implement programs on the deployment of migrant workers. We can remember a few months ago that DOLE has discovered a money-making scheme within POEA. Some employees were taking advantage of the grant of exemption in relation to the ban of direct-hiring, taking in bribes as payment for providing the exemption bypassing the established procedure. Secretary Bello has since suspended direct-hiring pending investigation. After a few weeks, he has reinstated direct-hiring, but he has also promised massive reshuffling in the agency. Now, we can say that the secretary is taking full control of the situation.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5d3oPjMpOLy8_sZ_oI-5zXuzucCaSTyL9InLwNn16yNR8UB2ytj9ANb3mz4HZRIYu3xjmY-GtW5-IC2mHNPn0B3pdzbbo0_DIT-asNbfZp3i3qKmCfPgN0TyU41PucSSp-FD/s640/Cover.png)
SAUDI SIN TAX: Price of Soft Drinks Increase, Cigarette Doubles
![Prices of cigarettes and energy drinks have doubled with the implementation of an excise tax that became effective midnight Saturday in a measure unprecedented in the Kingdom. The excise tax, commonly known as a “sin tax,” is imposed on “unhealthy products” that are likely to cause health problems and eventually increase medical expenses paid by individuals or the government, according to the General Authority of Zakat and Tax (GAZT) official website. Items that are now taxed include: cigarettes and cigar products, energy drinks and softdrinks. It is unclear if other sugary beverages are included since some shops still sell these at normal prices. A few days prior to the implementation, some smokers struggled to find boxes of their usual cigarettes. Consumers attempted to stock up on cigarettes at their pre-tax price, while suppliers were trying to keep the products off the shelves until the prices rose. At one of the main supermarkets in Jeddah, a shelf stacker said “There was nothing here yesterday,” pointing at the shelf. “Yesterday, the price was normal. But today, a soft drink can is SR2.25 ($0.60).” Some supermarkets had also kept the newly taxed drinks away from customers so they are sold 50 percent higher in price in the case of soft drinks, and double the price for energy drinks. Consumers will now pay SR12 at one supermarket for a 250ml can of a popular taurine drink, which is priced at SR11.90 at another supermarket. Aside from tags of doubled priced energy drinks, a new sign has been posted on market shelves stating: “Energy drinks harmful to health.” The full warning matches the text on beverage cans. This is part of the new move to curb consumption of sugary and energy drinks in the kingdom. The tax authority urged producers and suppliers of taxable goods to register for the excise tax, the GAZT official website stated. The taxing body expects to lower consumption by people with limited income of the taxed products after the price hike. Officials of Saudi General Authority of Zakat and Tax, the entity responsible for collecting VAT and excise tax, have told local media that they expect excise tax revenues of $1.87 billion (SR7bn) in just six months. A regular smoker and energy-drinks lover from Jeddah said the move would not make her quit. “It’s an extra strain on the pocket, but it’s a habit that I can’t just quit or cut down on,” she said. She bought her last pack of the cigarettes she smokes for SR12 one day before the tax into effect. Now it is SR24. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are also set to implement a value-added tax (VAT) of 5 percent on certain goods beginning in 2018. This is just the beginning of taxation imposed on goods in the Kingdom. Starting 2018, a 5%VAT will be implemented on goods throughout the GCC - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and UAE.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aTOhR4VofYyjYFvUdxvktv03ADWiUYtNN85tTt478o-HatRhdxD2HQpj3sxNEOBZxZ-lp9k1eYM_vTFDpa8uvIEHJ8dZ4afCn1E7E6bHLa1024IsritU1P0rtV2CMhjBGMpz/s640/template.png)
Companies Start Collecting Dependent's Fee For Saudi Expats
![In December of 2016, the Saudi Government has unveiled their 2017 Budget. It was a time of great upheaval in the kingdom as the price of oil remains very low and the government is losing money everyday. The budget was, by any account, revolutionary. As the Saudi Government works overtime to balance their declining finances, they started to look at other sources of income outside the oil industry. Among the "new" sources of income is the imposition of new fees to the massive population of expatriates in the kingdom. One such levy is about to be implemented next month. The Dependent's Fee is a 100-Riyal monthly fee levied for each dependent of an expatriate worker. It means, an expatriate worker (or his employer?) should pay an annual fee of SR1200.00 for EACH dependent living with the employee in the kingdom. The amount is said to be collected annually during Iqama (residency card) renewal. In 2018, the amount will double, then triple in 2019. By year 2020, the Dependent's Fee would be four times, or SR400 per month! OFWs in Saudi are starting to share the information that their companies are giving out memos to expatriate workers regarding the Dependent's Fee. Expatriates have sent images of such notices to friends and relatives using What's App or FB Messenger. Most pictures taken does not show the company logo, perhaps to avoid a backlash from the employer, but some contain the company logos, which gives more credence to the report. Check out the images below so you can judge for yourself. We have tried several times to verify the story, but knowing the Saudi Government, any official announcement regarding this issue is done only via the Ministry of Interior. It is still unclear whether who will shoulder the new fees. While the Saudi Labor Law clearly states that employers must shoulder all costs and imposed fees related to hiring an expatriate worker, some companies split the cost with their employees. Many, however, simply pass the costs to their employers, taking-advantage of the workers lack of knowledge on local labor laws. The number of OFWs with dependents in Saudi Arabia is currently unclear. One thing is for sure, if this plan continues, then their numbers will surely decrease. As such, the Philippine government should also prepare for a surge of Filipino OFWs and their dependents, most of whom will surely go home in the next few years.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCw_IHUy4VrLFUsyKKivNnGXBJJ68PMR-w1IVD8pHx-9l-CSHL9BCwjhxkCYX3n_NjdrAxYTCdej296V27mFXvv1G4tULHCRi8V2Sq1zH6w46sWLAxWZj7NnaLpJqmS-QvJTh/s640/template.png)
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