They have contacted the nongovernmental organization Migrante, which looks after OFWs in need of aid.
The workers were sentenced to three years in prison and 600 lashes by a Saudi court for illegal drug possession. “The DFA cited insufficient funds as the reason for its refusal to render assistance to the two jailed OFWs in Saudi Arabia,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said in an e-mail to Arab News on Thursday.
This year, the Philippine government allocated 50 million pesos for legal assistance for OFWs and 27 million for next year.
Monterona said the two OFWs were recruited by Al-Jazira Manpower Services in 2006 and 2009 respectively to work in Hail.
“One of them is an architect and the other is a tile setter. Both of them have maintained their innocence regarding the charge against them,” Monterona said.
According to the families, the two OFWs were arrested on July 30 when police raided the accommodation provided by their company.
“The police searched their room, seized some of their personal belongings, then handcuffed them when the police reportedly found a sachet of heroin in their possession,” Monterona said.
He said the workers never received any assistance from the DFA during a series of hearings into their case. “The absence of legal assistance for the two OFWs from the DFA is condemnable. Often, a lack of funds is cited as justification for not hiring lawyers for defending accused OFWs.”
Monterona said on Oct. 4, the court found the two OFWs guilty of illegal possession of drugs.
“We won't be surprised if they are imprisoned for longer or even given the death penalty after they go through a series of hearings without a lawyer to defend them because the Philippine government does not have enough funds for their defense,” Monterona said.
