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Press Release: 2 July 2008
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
OFW rights violation worsens under the Arroyo administration sans clear protection program for OFWs
An alliance of Overseas Filipino workers’ organizations based in the Middle East toady said that the number of cases it handled during the last five (5) months is getting worst as it reached to an almost 1,000 cases of rights violations out of the 1,352 cases officially recorded by Migrante International, the Manila-based umbrella organization of OFWs and their families.
“The recorded number of rights violations committed against fellow OFWs in the entire Middle East is indicative of the Arroyo’s failure to implement a clear program for OFWs rights protection as it continuously rise to a significant number of 939 cases compared to more than 500 cases recorded last year of the same time span,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator.
Monterona said that these figures did not include the cases lodged and handled by Philippine Embassies and the Philippine Labor Offices from each country in the Middle East.
“We suspect that the number of cases lodged in Philippine Embassies and POLOs were plenty as compared to the cases recorded by the Rights and Welfare Committee (RWAC) of Migrante International,” Monterona averred.
The migrant leader said that Migrante-RWAC cases were mostly referred by the relatives of OFW victims or by direct calls and emails by the victims themselves to Migrante chapters in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Oman asking for assistance.
Migrante’s RWAC recorded 100 cases of illegal recruitment or trafficking of OFWs, where 70 of them were deployed to a Saudi-based Annasban company, 11 from Princess House Party Organizers in United Arab Emirates, and 19 were illegally deployed to Syria.
Migrante’s RWAC recorded 190 ran away OFWs who were apprehended and now in jails of Saudi Arabia and Qatar having 95 OFWs each country.
In Kuwait, there are an estimated 20 OFWs detained in Khaitan Jail based on the account of the 7 OFW-drivers who were released and deported last 17 May 2008 working for Al Jassim Trucking Company providing transport services for American Military bases and facilities in Iraq.
Cases of illegal termination have also been recorded. There are 11 OFW-nursing aids working for Al-Easa Home Care in Kuwait who were terminated just because they have rightfully demanded from their employer to give what is stipulated under their work contract.
“But what is quite alarming is the growing numbers of stranded who were forced to run away from their errant and abusive employers. They were victims of sexual abuses, maltreatment, unpaid salaries, and other labor malpractices,” Monterona explained.
Migrante-RWAC registered 595 stranded OFWs from Saudi Arabia; these numbers are limited only to those who have officially sought assistance from Migrante chapter in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A combined number of more than 200 cases from other part of Saudi like in Riyadh, Al Khobar, Dammam, Hail, and Al Jouf have also been recorded by Migrante.
In Jordan, there are 170 stranded and ran away OFW-women who eventually sought refuge at Philippine Embassy’s Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) and there are 5 ran away OFWs at Philippine Embassy’s FWRC in Kuwait.
Monterona said that Migrante’s RWAC has also recorded 58 individual cases of OFWs; 36 of which are from Saudi Arabia, 5 from Dubai, and 17 from Kuwait.
Monterona has also noted that out of the 26 cases of OFWs on death row, 6 of which are from the Middle East. These are May Vecina and Jakatia Pawa (Kuwait); Bienvenido Espino Jr., brothers Edison and Rolando Gonzales and Rodelio Lanuza (Saudi Arabia).
“These increasing figures of OFW cases emanating from rights violations, although limited to the cases officially handled by Migrante, reveal that the Arroyo administration is only providing lip services to OFWs in the absence of a clear program for OFW rights protection and promotion of their welfare,” Monterona added.
“What we usually hear from her administration are words of praise every time OFWs remittances reached new high records as it relies much on it to keeping the local economy afloat,” Monterona added.
Monterona ended saying that the Arroyo administration has even have the guts to urge OFWs and expatriates to donate to the government in the name of helping typhoon victims but up to now her administration did not even release an amount for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of places devastated by typhoon “Frank” but could afford spending millions of pesos for her recent trip in the U.S. along with her political lackeys. # # #
For reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012
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