Pumanaw na sa edad na 61-anyos si Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople kahapon.
Para kay Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, nawalan siya ng isang kaibigan sa pagkawala ni Ople.
“I have lost a friend, the Philippines has lost a friend,” sabi ni Marcos Jr sa isang media interview matapos bumisita sa Toyota Manufacturing Plant Laguna kahapon.
“Secretary Toots was a special person. With the deep compassion really for the people she had to care for, namely the migrant workers, and she was very very — she’s a big loss,” dagdag niya.
Si Toots ay anak ni dating senador at labor leader Blas Ople.
Itinalaga siyang DMW secretary ni Marcos Jr noong Mayo 2022.
Nagsilbi siyang labor undersecretary 2004 hanggang 2009 at nauna rito’y naging Press Assistant Secretary siya noong administrasyong Arroyo.
“She was very much following the tradition of Ka Blas Ople, of excellence, of compassion,”giit ni Marcos.
Inianunsyo ng DMW ang pagkamatay ni Toots sa isang kalatas at sinabing “Secretary Toots peacefully joined our Creator at around 1 p.m. today, August 22, 2023, surrounded by her family and loved ones.”
Bago binawian ng buhay, si Toots ay sumailalaim sa isang wellness break upang magluksa at makapiling ang kanyang pamilya.
“Our family lost two good men within a span of five days. They are now in a much better place, free from pain and reunited with our beloved parents and brother, Raul,” sabi ni Toots bago nagbakasyon.
Ang pagpanaw ni Toots ay matapos binawian ng buhay ang kanyang dalawang kapatid na sina Blas Ople Jr. and Felix “Toti” Ople, dahil sa sakit na lung cancer.
“Migrant workers, and workers in general, have just lost a great and tireless champion in Secretary Ople. She was the first secretary of the department Congress had created to focus on attending to the welfare of millions of overseas Filipino workers,” sabi ni Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Nang pumanaw ang kanyang ama, naging aktibo si Toots sa pagtulong sa overseas Filipino (OFWs) partikular ang household sector workers na nakaranas ng kalupitan sa kanilang amo.
