RIYADH, 31 May 2004 — A number of overseas Filipinos have taken up a challenge posed by a group in Manila to provide evidence and testify in a court case against the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Riyadh-based Vic Barrazona, one of the lead campaigners for overseas absentee voting, committed himself to be one of the witnesses.
Hearings are expected to begin in late June or in July at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.
Alfredo Ganapin, a doctor of veterinary medicine working in Riyadh, also confirmed his willingness to testify as he is set to take his vacation on June 17.
Ganapin said he is submitting as evidence the original copy of his OWWA certificate of coverage and the official receipt of payment of 1,275 pesos.
The Manila-based Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW) had earlier called for witnesses in the case asking the court to stop the welfare agency from extracting fees from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and from implementing its new Omnibus Policies.
OWWA is a government agency formed in the 80s to provide welfare and protection to Filipino overseas contract workers.
Many non-government organizations and OFW groups, however, believe the agency has become more of a burden to the estimated 4.6 million OFWs scattered worldwide.
After allegedly squandering millions of dollars of money collected from overseas workers in bad investments, it had imposed a $25 membership fee every time an OFW signs a contract with a foreign employer.
To make matters worse, according to the PMRW, the OWWA had been issuing receipts making it appear that the membership fee of each OFW were paid by their foreign employers.
One of the first to expose this “fraud” was Francis Oca, a bank employee in Riyadh, who had just returned to work from vacation in the Philippines. He also offered to present the receipt issued him by OWWA, which stated that his employer paid the membership fee.
“I felt betrayed, robbed, cheated!” Oca said in an e-mail to fellow OFWs.
Ellen Sana of PMRW, and on behalf of the Scrap OWWA Omnibus Policies Coalition (SCOOP), said witnesses, affidavits and official receipts are needed to convince the court to rule against OWWA.
She said the PMRW will ask for court hearings to begin in late June or in July at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.
She said at least three affidavits and receipts are needed in each category, namely: direct payment to OWWA office abroad, Balik Manggagawa through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and through recruitment agencies.
Ernie Mu?oz of Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co. (Yanpet) e-mailed PMRW asking what assurance an OFW who takes the witness stand could get that he would be allowed to return safely to his place of employment.
In reply, Sana said that taking the witness stand will have no effect whatsoever on the work of OFWs abroad.
“They will simply state before the court (bear witness) that indeed they were the ones who paid the OWWA contribution out of their own personal funds as stated in the affidavits. They are not the complainants per se. Their testimonies and affidavits will serve to strengthen the case,” added Sana.
Sana said that PMRW has yet to negotiate the schedule of the hearing at Pasay Regional Trial Court.
She also called on those who may know of OFWs who are currently on vacation in the Philippines and/or who have returned for good recently and might be willing to appear in court.
“We will appreciate it very much if you can refer them to us or vice versa if you can advise them to contact us for this purpose,” Sana said.
Sana can be contacted at CMA-Philippines, 70-1 Matahimik Street, Teachers’ Village, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines; telephone/fax” +632 4354533 telephone: +4341799 (if you cannot connect, try +632 435 9484 -referring to the same line); e-mail is [email protected] or [email protected]
Jun Saulon, who works in a mining company in Jeddah, scanned and e-mailed all the requested documents to Sana and suggested: “While you continue building up evidence to support the case in court, I suggest that you also arrange to demand for an audit of OWWA funds by COA and if possible arrange to include two or more OFW representatives, who are accountants, that have extensive experience in audit.”
A certain Jessie shared one sad instance he experienced with PhilHealth in his most recent vacation in the Philippines.
“I’ve been expecting PhilHealth or OWWA to come to my rescue just to defray the hospital bills that we incurred at St. Luke’s Medical Center where my wife underwent myomectomy but to no avail,” said Jessie.
“I hate them all including our government officials who normally sang hymns of praises for OFWs whom they considered ‘modern day heroes.’ It’s all lip-service after all. What they profess, they never practice,” he added. Because of such experience, he said he doesn’t feel like paying his PhilHealth dues anymore.
