MANILA, 2 December 2004 — Most of the 176 Filipino workers in Jeddah who were listed by the labor group Migrante International as ‘stranded” do not really want to return home yet, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
In a press statement, the DFA cited a report by the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah as saying many of those in the Migrante list were actually “runaways” and not “stranded” in its real meaning.
“Consul General (Pendosina) Lomondot explained that there is a difference between OFWs who are really stranded as opposed to runaway workers who absconded their contract with their former employers and have voluntarily sought employment elsewhere,” the press statement said.
Last week, Migrante members led by OFW Leo Legaspi submitted to the consulate a list of 176 “stranded” OFWs, who it said wanted to go home.
Legaspi’s group presented the list two weeks after a dialogue with consulate officials, during which they sought action by the Philippine government on the plight of the “stranded.”
In his report to the DFA, however, Lomondot noted that only about 50 of those in the list appeared personally at the consulate.
And of those who came to the consulate, some said in separate interviews with officials that they were “misled” by Migrante officials into coming because a general amnesty would be granted for overstaying workers, the DFA quoted Lomondot’s report as saying.
“Some OFWs were enraged when they found out that they have been misled by Migrante, and the consulate staff even intervened to sort out the misinformation,” said the DFA press statement.
Lomondot’s report, according to the DFA, also noted that 25 of those in the Migrante list are from the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia.
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) of the consulate in Jeddah has subsequently referred the cases of the 25 to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, which has jurisdiction over the Central and Eastern regions.
It said the repatriation of four of the 25 has already been arranged, with the POLO in Riyadh taking care of the issuance of exit visas in case repatriation is requested.
Nine of the workers are employed with construction company in Jeddah; six are marine workers employed by an engineer; while the rest are female beauticians, domestic workers and dressmakers, who did not give their identities.
Lomondot’s report also cautioned protesting workers “not to draw attention to themselves by displaying placards, since such protest actions are illegal in the Saudi Arabia, said the DFA statement.
It was referring to the protest staged by Legaspi’s group early last month at the consulate, when they displayed placards and lay down in front of the POLO inside the consulate compound.
Witnesses said tensions rose when some consulate officials tried to stop the protesters, but Lomondot managed to calm them down by admitting all the protesters to a dialogue inside his office.
While hitting at Migrante in his report, Lomondot admitted that there were possible victims illegal acts by certain Philippine recruitment agencies.
“POLO is also investigating the culpability of the Philippine-based recruitment agencies Hope International Manpower Services and GFI Manpower International Specialist, Inc. for allegations of excessively high placement fees and contract substitution,” the DFA quoted the consul general’s report as saying.
It added that POLO in Jeddah, headed by Labor Attaché Nasser Munder, is making representations with Sultan for General Construction and Development Group to settle a labor dispute with the nine OFWs whose grievances include long working hours and illegal salary deductions.
The consulate has asked Manila for an emergency standby fund “to cover the costs of augmented food provisions and repatriation expenses for the runaway OFWs,” said the DFA.