JEDDAH, 31 May — Malaca?ang Palace in Manila is being flooded with requests by various Filipino groups and individuals in the Kingdom to name a Maranao datu as “Hajj attaché” at the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah.
The datu being endorsed is Benjamin Adam, an official of the Parent-Teachers Association at the International Philippine School in Jeddah (IPSJ) who claims to be president of a group called Lanao, Davao and Sulu Archipelago Association.
Letters of endorsement to President Gloria Arroyo said Adam would be an asset to the Philippine mission as he is supposed to have had extensive experience in assisting Filipinos coming to the Kingdom for Umrah or Hajj. Adam himself brought copies of the letters to Arab News.
Adam said he first served in the Philippine Embassy in Jeddah in 1985, transferred to the consulate when the embassy was moved to Riyadh, and later moved to the IPSJ, which was then an embassy school. His services were terminated in 1997.
“Mr. Adam is a hard worker and has been doing extraordinary work in helping his fellow countrymen in Saudi Arabia,” said one letter bearing the name, letterhead and signature of Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, deputy president of the Saudi Majlis e Shoora, dated April 23, 2001.
Elnirul Sulaiman Sario, chief of the Basilan Overseas Muslim Workers Association, wrote that Adam is a prominent leader of the eastern region of Makkah and Mindanao.
Ibrahim Mangotara, chair of the Malabang Islamic Foundation Cooperative, Inc. in Jeddah said wrote exactly the same letter as that of Sario.
Adam’s list of endorsements included Davao Expatriates group of Datu Madaya, Dr. Amilbahar of the MNLF liaiason office, IPSJ acting chair Linagaranao Mapandi, Fred Castolome of the OFW Cooperative Council, Saibatol Dalos as chair of the United Bangsaranao Council (UBC), and several others groups.
