For her “nasty and malevolent” posts against President Rodrigo Duterte, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) based in Taiwan will be deported to face charges of cyberlibel.
According to Labor Attaché Fidel Macauyag, caregiver Elanel Ordidor will be flown back to the country because her Facebook posts against Duterte were intended “to cause hatred amid the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
When labor officials went to Ordidor’s workplace in Yunlin County on Monday to tell her of the charges she might face for her posts, she “committed to delete all her uploaded videos against the President and promised not to do it again,” Macauyag said.
She also promised to issue a public apology, he added.
“However, hours after the visit, several posts were seen on the Philippine Overseas Labor Office Taichung Facebook page from several fake accounts (supporting her) cause,” Macauyag said, adding that labor officials learned that the caregiver was using four other accounts and a group “to discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government.”
The OFW welfare group Migrante described Ordidor’s deportation as “harassment” and a “violation of her democratic right to freedom of expression.”
“Migrante International strongly warns (the labor department) to stop the harassment of Elanel Egot Ordidor. Stop using critical OFWs as punching bag just to divert attention away from the Duterte regime’s inutility in this period of crisis,” said Migrante International chair Joanna Concepcion.
Among the accounts being linked to Ordidor are those of Lenale Elanel Egot, Mha Lan Dee, Linn Silawan and Hampas Lupa.
A video posted in the “Top Viral Video Facebook” page and attributed to Silawan showed a woman ranting about the lockdown imposed by the Duterte administration to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19.
In the video, the woman asked if Duterte had thought through the government’s interventions.
Airing similar sentiments earlier raised in various social media sites, Silawan said people in the Philippines “would die not from the virus but from hunger.”
Press Statement
Department of Labor and Employment
Labor Attaché Fidel V. Macauyag
POLO Taichung/International Labor Affairs Bureau
25 April 2020
We are constrained to act for the deportation of a Filipina working as caregiver in Taiwan for the crime of cyber libel for willful posting of nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The caregiver, Elanel Egot Ordidor, is employed in Yunlin County, Taiwan.
On 20 April 2020, we went to her workplace to enlighten her that her actions amounted to a crime for which she might be prosecuted both in Taiwan and the Philippines.
Ordidor was cooperative and cordial at first and committed to delete all her uploaded videos against the President and promised not to do it again. She also promised to upload a video of her public apology to the President and to the people in the government at 9 pm of the same day.
However, hours after the visit, several posts were seen on the POLO Taichung’ Facebook page from several fake accounts assuring Ms. Ordidor’s cause and further giving her assurance of support.
It has come to our knowledge that Ms. Ordidor is using several social media accounts, among which are Lenale Elanel Egot, Mha Lan Dee, Linn Silawan and Hampas Lupa and has a group organized to discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government.
Due to her acts, POLO coordinated with her broker and employer on her deportation on the basis of the gravity of Ordidor’s offense under Philippine Law. The sharing and posting of such videos are punishable under Cyber libel under Republic Act No. 10175.
