RIYADH, 12 September 2004 — Amid persistent criticisms that he had been remiss in his duties, Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla has said he has in fact strengthened the Philippine Embassy’s team dealing with distressed Filipino workers in the Kingdom.

Speaking during the Kapihan sa Riyadh forum on Friday at the Al Mutlaq Hotel, Guinomla said he had assigned more “warm bodies to respond to ATN (Assistance to Nationals) cases,” with instructions for those involved to coordinate and cooperate with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in solving problems of OFWs.

Considering the huge concentration of OFWs in the Kingdom, he said, “the embassy had been pouring most of its time and resources to the task of solving the problems faced by OFWs.”

“I am hopeful that we can continue the success of our campaign to serve distressed OFWs and certainly with the help of the Filipino community we could surmount obstacles standing in our way and achieve more this year,” said Guinomla, whose recall as ambassador is being sought by the Migrante International for allegedly failing to protect or help many OFWs .

Guinomla told the forum that in 2003, there were 188 deaths reported to the embassy. All the remains had been repatriated to the Philippines, except for those of four who were buried in the Kingdom “as per Islamic tradition and customs.”

He said the embassy remitted 480,000 riyals or $128,000 in diyah or “blood money” to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila. Of the total, SR50,000 was for a case that had been pending for 15 years until the embassy’s Assistance to Nationals Section (ANS) went to claim it last October for the unnamed victim’s heirs in the Philippines.

“Our death benefits desk has made possible also the remittance of SR 1,539,155 which Saudi employers are required to give the beneficiaries of deceased OFWs,” he reported.

More Cases Settled

A report by the embassy yesterday also showed that at least two more cases involving OFWs in the Kingdom have been settled and or were nearing settlement.

“Lorna J. Barredo can now return home after her case was settled with her Saudi employer on Sept. 4,” said the embassy in a press statement.

Case Officer Salem L. Moner of the embassy’s Labor Section reported to Guinomla that Barredo’s employer surrendered her passport stamped with a final exit visa as demanded by the OFW.

Barredo had complained against her employer, Mrs. Latifa Mohammad Al-Basre, who was represented by her husband Nasser Abdullah Al-Howaish, for alleged non-implementation of a promised salary increment, verbal abuse and non-issuance of iqama or copy of it, said the statement.

She had wanted to be released to another sponsor but after several months of not finding any, she opted to go home.

On Sept. 5, OFW Ofelia Gonzales left for home on board the Saudia Airline, Labor Attaché Manuel C. Roldan said in response to an e-mailed inquiry from a community group. Roldan said Gonzales, assisted by the embassy and POLO, fought her case at the Saudi Labor Office for three years, winning at the Primary Court and subsequently at the Higher Commission on July 30.

The ruling, however, has yet to be enforced and Ambassador Guinomla has written the Governor’s Office twice asking for assistance.

Staying at the OWWA’s Bahay Kalinga shelter while her case was heard, Gonzales was at one time brought to a hospital and was in the state of coma for a few days.

Roldan said she survived the ordeal and the POLO later arranged for the issuance of her exit visa while a benevolent Filipino through OFW Benny Ma?alac provided a plane ticket for her.

“Now, Ms. Gonzales has happily joined her family back home. We had asked Ms. Gonzales to leave a Special Power of Attorney so POLO can continue pursuing enforcement of the decision on her case,” Roldan said.

Low Profile

Guinomla, who came to the Kapihan with other embassy officials, said it was impossible for the embassy to announce every OFW case it is handling, but he assured the community that they were not sleeping on any case.

He also explained that while he may not know of the details of each case as he has other functions to do, he has staff who are working on them.

He said he also has to take care of diplomatic, political, economic and culture functions as ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

On the political front, for instance, he is actively involved in seeking membership with observer status for the Philippine government in the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

On the economic front, he said he has to make constant representations with the concerned authorities in the Kingdom “for the increase and expansion of RP-Saudi trade relations, which as you correctly guess, is heavily tilted in favor of the Kingdom to the tune of over a billion to 41 million dollars.”

He also mentioned the pending agreement on avoidance of double taxation and the agreement on mutual encouragement and protection of investments to be signed by both sides, without citing a specific date.

In an interview with Arab News, he also said it was not possible for the embassy to make public updates on OFW cases. There are times, he said, when it was in the interest of the OFW to maintain a low profile.

Guinomla said they did not make any noise when he and Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Jose S. Brillantes and Minister Mariano Dumia sought an audience with Prince Jiluwi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed Al-Saud, the deputy governor of the Eastern Province, in a bid to enhance further coordination to address the concerns of Filipino workers in the area

Better Understanding

Guinomla was reportedly hesitant in attending the Kapihan because some community leaders thought of putting him “on trial” for his alleged failure to help OFWs.

Migrante International had been seeking his recall as ambassador, a demand that many community leaders in Riyadh described as “unreasonable and unjust.”

Kapihan organizers led by Alex Bello of the OFW Congress, however, assured that the forum was only meant to give the embassy a chance to enlighten the community with the situation of OFWs in the Kingdom.

The ambassador came with Minister Dumia, Vice Consuls Romulo Victor Israel Jr. and Adrian Cruz, Labor Attachés Manuel Roldan and Albert Abalayan, and Welfare Officers Federico Biolena and Edward Bellido.

Forming the Kapihan panel were Rashid Fabricante of Pusong Mamon Task Force, Francis Oca of OFW Net, Joey Badong of Order of Knights of Rizal, and Jaafar Ankaya of OFW Congress.