Exclusive | Duterte ordered probe into Philippine labour attache recalled from Hong Kong
Country’s labour chief reveals that president instructed team to investigate Jalilo Dela Torre, who was later told to return to Manila ‘to explain’
The Philippine labour attache at the centre of a furore over his sudden recall from Hong Kong was investigated on the “instruction” of President Rodrigo Duterte regarding complaints against him, the country’s labour chief has revealed.
Jalilo Dela Torre was removed from his position at the Philippine consulate in Hong Kong and recalled to his home country on March 23, midway through a three-year term. The unusual move by Manila sparked outrage among the city’s Filipino community, who feared it may have been related to vocal opposition from Dela Torre to human traffickers and unscrupulous employment agencies.
In a letter to the Post on Friday, Philippine Secretary of Labour and Employment Silvestre Bello wrote that he had “received instructions from the Office of the President to send a representative to a meeting relative to the complaints filed against Dela Torre”.
“As instructed during the meeting, the undersigned [Bello] directed a team of three officials from the Department [of Labour and Employment] to proceed to Hong Kong on February 25 to 27 to conduct an investigation into Dela Torre,” the letter went on.
During the probe the “fact-finding team found a basis” to issue the recall order, Bello said. It would allow Dela Torre to return “temporarily to shed light on the issues against him and afford him the opportunity to explain his side to the undersigned and the Office of the President”.