MALACAÑANG has approved the proposal of the Foreign Affairs and Labor departments to bring home about 1,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in Hong Kong after they were allegedly duped by their travel agency. Cayetano has instructed the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong to file criminal charges against PEYA Travel, the Filipino-owned travel agency that defrauded the workers. “We also will pursue a civil suit against PEYA Travel to compensate our kababayan for the damages they suffered,” Cayetano said. Arriola said affected workers would be asked to issue an undertaking assigning the refund of their tickets bought from PEYA Travel to the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong. She said Philippine Airlines and Cathay Pacific offered discounted airfare and would also dispatch bigger aircraft to accommodate the stranded workers to ensure they would be home before Christmas.

Source: Manila Times December 22, 2017 16:52 UTC