Filipinos Still Seek Work in Iraq Despite Danger and Ban

Despite a presidential order banning Filipino workers from going to Iraq, hundreds of people still line up every day at employment agencies here, hoping for a chance to get a job in that strife-torn country. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the ban and withdrew the Philippines' contingent of troops from Iraq in July after insurgents kidnapped a Filipino truck driver and threatened to kill him. Since then, hundreds of Filipinos who had been hired for jobs in Iraq have held demonstrations to demand that the ban be lifted. In one protest, the police dispersed the workers with water cannons and clubs, injuring several. It was a scene that reflected the desperation of many Filipinos to find work, even in danger zones like Iraq. [more ]