PH officials visit 8 detained Pinoy seafarers in Malaysia

PH officials visit 8 detained Pinoy seafarers in Malaysia
Benise Balaoing https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/other/ph-officials-visit-8-detained-pinoy...

MANILA -- Officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in Malaysia visited the 8 Filipino seafarers who are detained in in a police station in Kota Tinggi in the said country.

In a statement, the DMW said the seafarers allegedly broke Malaysian immigration laws.

“Our Labor Attachè Jocelyn Ortega and DMW-[Migrant Workers' Office] lawyer in Malaysia visited the 8 jailed seafarers and raised the defense of good faith defense before the investigating officer," said DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.

Cacdac said the results of the investigation on the Filipinos will be out soon. Meanwhile, the DMW will conducting its own probe.

The DMW investigation will focus on the seafarer's manning agency and the ship owner, and find out what led to the arrest of the Filipinos.

The probe will also look into whether or not the Filipinos were adeuqately protected.

The manpower agency, meanwhile, promised to continue paying the salaries of the workers and provide benefits to their families.