However, the release has not solved his problems.
“Atencio was released but his problem remains unsolved. He's still undocumented and therefore an illegal resident of the Kingdom. His problem is exacerbated by the fact that he is sick and jobless. He does not have the means to continue his medication,” Monterona said.
Atencio, who is from Lucena City, southeast of Manila, suffered a mild stroke in December 2010 while at work. “He sought the help of friends as well as that of Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan or KGS (Brotherhood in the Middle East), which is an affiliate of Migrante,” Monterona said. “Eventually, we endorsed him to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and the Philippine Embassy.”
Sometime in the first week of February, Atencio was reportedly arrested by Saudi immigration authorities and detained at a deportation center in Riyadh.
“I called Vice Consul Redentor Genotiva to inquire about Atencio's repatriation, but he could not give an answer. I also called Labor Attache Albert Q. Valenciano but he too could not provide an answer,” Monterona said. “It seems that our embassy and POLO officials are not following up Atencio’s case.”
He added that Migrante is investigating whether embassy officials and POLO got Atencio arrested in the hope that Saudi authorities would cover the expense of deporting him.
Atencio was deployed by Nouras Recruitment Agency and arrived in the Kingdom in March 2009. After six months, he and another OFW complained of not receiving their salaries for several months. They eventually ran away and became undocumented OFWs after one year when their iqamas expired.
“Atencio and fellow undocumented OFWs found jobs with other companies but since they were undocumented they could not get a contractual term of employment,” said Joseph Valenzuela, welfare officer of KGS, which eventually referred the case to Migrante.
Unscrupulous employers in the Kingdom often illegally report workers as runaways in order to void paying them. By not paying them, these employers compel their workers to seek illegal employment elsewhere.
