Rep. Rodriguez says ban on health workers' deployment is constitutional

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez stated that the temporary ban on the deployment of Filipino health workers abroad is constitutional, aligning with President Duterte's stance.

Rodriguez disagreed with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.'s view that the ban violates the right to travel and is unconstitutional.

He cited Section 5 of Article III of the 1987 Constitution, which allows limitations on the right to travel in the interest of public health.

The lawmaker pointed to Republic Act No. 11469, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, and Presidential Proclamation No. 922 as legal bases for the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration's (POEA) deployment ban.

Rodriguez commended Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and the POEA for prioritizing the needs of the Filipino people amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

He emphasized the necessity of retaining healthcare workers in the Philippines to combat the rising number of COVID-19 cases, which stood at 4,932 as of Monday.

The government's task force on COVID-19 has reportedly eased the ban, permitting health workers with existing contracts to leave the country.

Rodriguez had previously called for the temporary ban on March 30 after learning about a plan by German hospitals to recruit Filipino nurses.