THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to remain vigilant against ‘third country recruitment’ schemes orchestrated by illegal recruiters and syndicates operating on social media platforms.

Reports from the Philippine Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, have flagged possible human trafficking incidents involving Filipino nationals in Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.

According to these reports, several Filipinos were arrested in Abuja and Lagos on charges of cybercrime, economic sabotage, and violations of Nigerian immigration laws.

They were reportedly recruited from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and traveled to Nigeria on tourist visas, falsely believing their work permits would be processed upon arrival.

The DMW noted the Nigerian government does not permit the conversion of tourist visas for employment purposes.

Filipinos intending to work in Nigeria must secure a Subject to Regularization (STR) visa from the Nigerian Embassy in the Philippines before deployment.

Recruitment through a third country is illegal if the recruiter or employer lacks proper authorization from the Philippine government.

To safeguard their rights and welfare, OFWs must obtain overseas employment documents exclusively through DMW-accredited recruitment agencies. This ensures access to benefits, protection from labor exploitation and assistance during emergencies.

The DMW urged OFWs and aspiring overseas workers to exercise caution when considering job offers found on social media. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

A LABOR alliance on Monday asked President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to defer the planned 1% increase in Social Security System (SSS) premiums scheduled to take effect this month, citing the hike is unjustified given the government’s failure to fulfill its legal obligation to contribute to the SSS fund.

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition Chair Jose Sonny G. Matula said in a 3-page letter that the government’s failure to fulfill its obligation under the Social Security Act of 2018 (Republic Act No. 11199) to provide direct financial contributions to the SSS fund has shifted the financial burden onto employers and employees.

Apart from the postponement of the hike, the group urged the government to “fulfill its obligation to contribute to the SSS fund as mandated by Section 20 of RA 11199.”

It is also seeking the passage of the P150 wage hike in Congress to “provide immediate economic relief to Filipino workers.”

SSS earlier announced it is implementing a 1% contribution rate hike starting January 2025, bringing the contribution rate to 15% from 14%.

“The timing of the premium hike, while provided for under the law, is especially unjustified given the government’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the same law despite its capacity to contribute, coupled with the soaring cost of rice and the looming increase in transport fares that worker[s] will be shouldering,” the letter addressed to Mr. Marcos read.

It noted the stalled legislated wage increase in the House of Representatives, as the Senate in 2024 approved a P100 wage hike.

“The incremental wage increases, even if implemented, fall short of addressing the increasing cost of living and widening wage gaps faced by millions of Filipino workers,” it added.

It cited SSS’s robust financial performance, with record-breaking incomes of P80 billion in 2023 and P100 billion in 2024, highlighting the agency’s financial stability and negating the immediate need for a premium hike.

Under Section 4 of RA 11199, the SSS Commission has the authority to defer contribution increases in light of prevailing economic conditions. The group urged the government to exercise this provision, given the financial hardships faced by the country’s workforce.

“The government’s consistent failure to fulfill its legal obligation to contribute to the SSS fund undermines the principles of social justice and shared responsibility.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

THE SUPREME Court (SC) ruled that a lack of campaign funds does not justify branding a political hopeful as a nuisance candidate, emphasizing it undermines the constitutional right to equal access to opportunities for public service.

In a decision promulgated on July 30, 2024, publicized on Monday, the top court en banc said that “in a democracy, every citizen has a right to run for public office.”

However, this right must be balanced with the practical challenges faced by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections.

“The pivotal criterion that characterizes a nuisance candidate lies in the absence of a bona fide intent to run for public office, and it is incumbent upon the Comelec to identify and to adduce supporting evidence of acts or circumstances that show a candidate’s lack of bona fide intent to run for public office, with the objective of “prevent[ing] a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate,” the 15-page ruling penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen read.

“It failed to discuss, much less adduce evidence, showing how petitioner’s inclusion in the ballots would prevent the faithful determination of the electorate’s will. We, therefore, hold that the Comelec acted with grave abuse of discretion in declaring petitioner as a nuisance candidate.”

The tribunal overturned Comelec’s resolution disqualifying an independent candidate in the 2022 presidential race.

Comelec had earlier declared the hopeful a nuisance candidate on grounds that he lacked the resources to sustain a nationwide campaign.

The candidate said his disqualification deprived him of his political rights and excluded voters from electing a candidate of their choice.

The top court upheld this view, saying that Comelec’s action violated the Constitution’s guarantee of electoral fairness.

The law bars nuisance candidates, individuals who are not genuinely running for office and instead aim to confuse voters or mock the electoral process, thereby disrupting the true expression of voter intent.

To classify someone as a nuisance candidate, the Comelec must present evidence demonstrating the individual’s lack of genuine intent to seek public office.

This determination may consider factors such as the candidate’s inability to organize a campaign, absence of political party nomination, or lack of a track record in public service, not his ability to fund a national campaign.

“The SC emphasized that regardless of wealth, everyone has the right to run for office. A candidate cannot be disqualified simply because they are poor. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

A FORMER Ilocos Sur governor’s name would stay on the ballots for the 2025 national and local elections in May despite his late withdrawal, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday.

Former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” C. Singson said he would withdraw from the May polls on Sunday due to health reasons, but Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said his name would remain on the ballots as printing has already commenced.

“If the withdrawal proceeds, we can no longer remove their name from the ballot,” he told reporters in Filipino via Viber chat. “And if they receive any votes, all those votes will be declared stray.”

Mr. Singson is yet to formally withdraw from the race.

The Comelec chief added Mr. Singson must personally file his withdrawal papers, not his lawyers.

The Miss Universe frontman pledged to modernize the country’s public transport through the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, criticizing its “flawed” implementation. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana