Tulfo slams jockeying for DMW top post

Despite the designation of Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Cacdac to temporarily head the DMW after secretary Susan "Toots" Ople died last month, jockeying for the position continues.

- CECILLE SUERTE FELIPE

During the public hearing on the proposed budget for the DMW by the Senate finance sub-committee presided over by Sen. JV Ejecito, Sen. Raffy Tulfo said that there are individuals jockeying for the agency's top post.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate committee on migrant workers, specifically noted that he received information that supporters of DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan are set to stage a rally to push for her appointment to the department's helm.

Tulfo told Caunan to dissuade her supporters from staging any rally as she would have problems when she is appointed as DMW secretary.

"Tell your people not to stage a rally at the Senate to push (for) you. We know what we are doing.

Nobody can influence me. Even if they tumble there ... we senators are independent-minded and cannot be influenced to support anyone," Tulfo said, addressing Caunan.

The senator noted that if Caunan's supporters wanted to stage a rally, they could do it at Malacañang as the President has the power and prerogative to appoint a DMW secretary.

"Everyone in the DMW is qualified, so there is no need to rally supporters outside the Senate," Tulfo said.

Caunan, however, clarified that it was the first time she heard about the effort to push for her to replace Ople as the next DMW chief.

"Personally, if there are those who expressed support, any of us in the department can be the DMW secretary based on the trust and confidence of the President, but Mr. Chair, on our end, as one of the undersecretaries tapped by the late secretary Ople, we are just focused on doing our job and make sure that we're able to serve our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers)," Caunan said, addressing Tulfo.