Manila, April 22 -- The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is set to conduct its own investigation on the licensed manning agency (LMA) and the shipowner that employed eight Filipino seafarers who were detained, and subsequently released in Malaysia, to determine accountability, and strengthen protection mechanism for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

"May imbestigasyon kung anong nangyari talaga lalo na't nauna pang makalabas ang may kasalanan sa lahat (There is an investigation into what really happened, especially since the culprit was released before everyone else)," Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a news release on Tuesday.

Cacdac personally met with the seafarers and their families on Monday at the DMW office in...