Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) “We have to admit that we have very few convictions, your honor,” Department of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told senators during a hearing of the Senate labor committee Monday, February 15. Before this, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian inquired if the proposed creation of the Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFIL) being pushed by the Duterte administration would be able to address the persisting problem on the illegal recruitment of OFWs. Senator Joel Villanueva, the committee chairman, cited a report from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showing that of the 295 illegal recruitment cases endorsed by the agency for investigation from 2016 to November, 2020, only 25 cases ended to the conviction of the respondents.