Senate to probe illegal foreign workers at Clark

The Senate opens on Wednesday its probe on the reported presence of alleged illegal Chinese workers at the former Clark Air Base in Pampanga who were recently arrested by joint operatives led by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) last November 25.

The public hearing will be conducted by the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources, which is chaired by Sen. Joel Villanueva. Earlier, Villanueva expressed alarm over the rising number of illegal foreign workers in the Philippines.

The incident is said to be the “biggest single arrest of illegal aliens” done by the BI after it apprehended a total of 1,316 alleged illegal Chinese workers in a resort and casino complex at Clark Freeport Zone.

Officials coming from the BI, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Philippine National Police (PNP) will be invited to attend the hearing.

“These illegal foreign workers are displacing our Filipino workers. DOLE should implement strong monitoring policies for migrant workers to control this influx,” Villanueva said he explained the rationale behind his Senate Resolution 242 that sought the Senate probe.