IT is definitely constitutional to temporarily prohibit Filipino medical workers from leaving our country and going abroad during this time of a declared public health emergency.
Art. 3 Bill of Rights, Sec 5 provides ‘Neither shall the right to travel be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety or public health, as may be provided by law’.
Clearly the constitutional right to travel is subject to some exceptions such as when the country has a clear and present danger to our public health because of Covid 19.
RA 11469 the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, Pres Proc 922 which declared a state of public health emergency and Pres Proc 929 which declared a State of Calamity throughout the country are the legal basis for the POEA deployment ban on our medical workers.
I support the statement of the President last night when he took a contrary view to that of Sec Locsin who is against the ban stating that the latter’s view would be right only during ordinary circumstances-when the country is not facing a pandemic.
As we have as of yesterday (Monday), 4,932 confirmed cases of Covid 19 and more are expected because of the planned mass testing, we need all our healthcare workers here to help address the pandemic in our country.
I laud Secretary Bello and POEA for their concern for the Filipino people by promulgating the temporary deployment ban on our healthcare workers. -Rufus Rodriguez, representative, 2nd District, Cagayan de Oro
