MANILA, Philippines — Middle East envoy and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Tuesday said some Iraqi employers of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) wishing to go back home amid the crisis ask payments of $10,000 or P500,000 before releasing them.

This was revealed by Cimatu during the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs’ discussion on urgent OFW matters adding that the Philippine government has already repatriated 13 Filipinos.

Nine of which were from Baghdad and four from Erbil.

“There are some recruiters who were able to receive from the employer $10,000 and when they (OFWs) volunteer to come home, the employer would not allow them until they have to pay $10,000 (back),” Cimatu said.

“Therefore, they were able to get exit visa but when they were inside the airport, going to the immigration, they were barred, they were stopped because of the employer.”

Cimatu also said some employers even followed the Filipinos to the airport asking the $10,000 settlement fee they allegedly paid recruiters.

The situation in Baghdad in Iraq is allegedly “deteriorating” Cimatu said adding that other OFWs need immediate repatriation of OFWs.

President Rodrigo Duterte has already ordered full repatriation efforts.

He directed the military to prepare its air and naval assets for the possible repatriation of OFWs in the Middle East after the U.S. launched an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, that killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani. (IAMIGO/Currentph.com)