Amid sex abuse scandal, two veteran labor attachés named to Saudi POLO

Amid the sexual abuse allegations against some Philippine officials abroad, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has designated two veteran labor attachés to head the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) in Saudi Arabia. Baldoz named Attache and career officer Rustico de La Fuente to head the POLO in Riyadh, and Attaché Jainal Rasul Jr. to head the POLO in Jeddah. De la Fuente replaces Adam Musa, who finished his tour of duty last Thursday, the Department of Labor and Employment said in a news release. Musa had been grilled by lawmakers during congressional hearings over his alleged failure to act appropriately on the alleged sexual abuses in Philippine overseas facilities. As head of POLO Riyadh, De la Fuente will coordinate all POLO operations in Saudi Arabia. "De la Fuente rose from the ranks to become a veteran point person in the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in the past 32 years since 1981," the DOLE said. Before his new assignment, De la Fuente was director of the DOLE’s National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO). He also played a key role in the rescue and evacuation of some 6,000 overseas Filipino workers during the Lebanon crisis in 2007. De la Fuente was then sent to Tenghiz, Kazakhstan, where he coordinated the repatriation of some 400 distressed OFWs affected by a riot. He also had a tour of duty as labor attaché in Doha, where he worked for the conclusion of the first bilateral labor agreement between the Philippines and Qatar, also the first between the country and a Middle Eastern OFW. He was in charge of the OWWA’s overseas operations in the late 1990s and coordinated the establishment of the first Filipino Workers Resource Center (Bahay Kalinga). De la Fuente said he plans to implement reforms, including a gender-balanced treatment to ensure protection of disadvantaged female OFWs. Jeddah head On the other hand, the DOLE described Rasul as "another veteran on OFW protection." He will replace Alex Padaen, who is being sent to Riyadh to join De la Fuente. The DOLE said Rasul also rose from the ranks in government service, and is "highly respected for his handling of POLO operations." Before his new post, Rasul was assigned to the POLO in London in the United Kingdom, where he served from 2005 to 2011. He also served as assistant labor attaché in 1996 and was posted to Tripoli, Libya, and served there until 1999. He served in Riyadh from 1999 to 2011. Rasul graduated of the University of the Philippines College of Law, and joined the government service as technical/research staff of the 1986 Philippine Constitutional Commission. He also served as Director I of the Legislative Research Division from 1988 to 1993 at the Senate, and as Director III of the Legislative Technical Affairs Bureau from 1993 to 1996, before joining the DOLE’s overseas labor attaché corps. Senate probe