Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has ordered the recall of a Bahrain-based officer after a video surfaced showing the staffer berating overseas Filipino workers seeking financial aid. In the clip, the employee stated that government funds were depleted and requests would not be entertained. The incident is part of broader complaints against Philippine government personnel in the Middle East amid escalating regional conflicts.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced on X, "I have issued the order recalling that MWO Bahrain employee being highly disrespectful to OFWs in a viral video. I assure our dear OFWs that we shall continue to serve with humility, respect, and hard work." The video, which circulated online over the weekend, depicts a man outside the Philippine Migrant Workers Office in Bahrain stating, "Manila ang nagsabi na wala nang pondo," and urging the overseas Filipino workers to take their complaints elsewhere.
Cacdac did not disclose the employee's name or the specific disciplinary measures following the recall. This action follows the Philippine Embassy in Manama's March 6 advisory suspending all financial assistance distributions due to ongoing missile and drone attacks in the region. The embassy noted that walk-ins without confirmed appointments would not be accommodated, in line with Bahrain's security advisories against mass gatherings.
The episode reflects a pattern of complaints against Philippine government staff in the Middle East, where tensions escalated after a joint United States and Israel strike on Iran on February 28. During a March 5 Senate hearing on migrant workers, Senators Raffy Tulfo and Erwin Tulfo criticized the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs over approximately 100 reports of unreachable hotlines, especially in Riyadh and Bahrain. Cacdac denied the claims, stating he had personally observed Bahrain personnel via a Zoom call with labor attaches and welfare officers that day, though he committed to investigating further.
As of data shared on March 4, Bahrain recorded the highest number of overseas Filipino workers requesting repatriation at 278, followed by Abu Dhabi with 246 and Dubai with 231. An estimated 2.5 million Filipinos are employed in the Middle East.