Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin has vowed to bring home a group of Filipino migrant workers trafficked to Syria. He also said he would investigate the reportedly poor conditions in which they have been kept at the Philippine Embassy in Damascus...

“I am emptying the shelters of all wards — no later than the next flight out; sending a team to do it. It won’t happen again,” Locsin said in a series of tweets, as he thanked the Washington Post for the report on Tuesday...

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement on Monday night that it is taking the Washington Post report seriously.

“Certain personnel have been administratively investigated and a human rights lawyer has been deployed to further look into the allegations of poor treatment of Filipino victims while under temporary shelter and to recommend other necessary actions to be taken,” it said, adding that it is providing legal assistance to all who are “trafficking victims and face penalties for being in Syria illegally.”

According to DFA, 12 of the Filipinos currently at the embassy in Damascus will be repatriated this month.

The Philippines banned sending Filipino workers to Syria in 2011.