RIYADH, 4 November 2004 — The Philippine Embassy said it has thanked Prince Faisal ibn Bandar ibn Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the governor of Qassim, for helping expedite the release of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Bernadette Diasnes from prison.

“Ms. Diasnes has been released and repatriated to the Philippines recently through the combined efforts of the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO),” Ambassador Bahnarim A. Guinomla told Arab News on Tuesday.

He said Prince Faisal immediately acted on a request of the embassy for the release of Diasnes for “humanitarian reasons.”

Diasnes was reported to have been “manifested suicidal behavior” while under detention at the Buraydah Central Prison (Women’s Section) since Aug. 16. It was not clear what offense she had been charged with.

On learning of her condition, Guinomla sent Attachés Carmelita Hidalgo and Christine Granada-Buhay to Buraydah to look into her case. Hidalgo said she was told that the judge has recommended the release and eventual repatriation of Diasnes but could not be released immediately, so the embassy sought Prince Faisal’s help.

Meanwhile, Guinomla said that three OFWs have won their case for non-payment of salaries and non-issuance of iqama but their employer has gone into hiding obviously to elude authorities, who are tasked to implement the labor court’s decision.

In a report he received from lawyer Alberto S. Abalayan, labor attaché for Central Region operations, Guinomla said that Cosme M. Tejero and Tomas Islao along with Johny Hashim were brought to the primary court in Al-Qassim for adjudication of the case.

According to Abalayan, the labor court handed down a decision on July 15 finding the employer Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Bahouth liable to pay the complainants their unpaid salaries and to repatriate them at his expense.

On Sept. 4, Abalayan added a similar complaint against the same employer was received from OFW Ador G. Esma.

According to Abalayan, the employer has since been recommended for blacklisting.

Guinomla assured the OFWs that the embassy will make forceful representations to effect the implementation of the labor court’s decision.