“Dr. Astillero was not only conscientious about his job but also a respected Filipino community leader who had helped compatriots in need,” said Antonio P. Villamor, who was ambassador from 2006 until 2010.
He added there was a time when the embassy assisted a Filipina who had a child out of wedlock and therefore could not be issued with documents. While the embassy assisted the Filipino woman to go home, Astillero made sure that the child was taken care of.
Villamor was in the Kingdom recently in connection with the case of Rodelio “Eissah” Don Don Lanuza, a Filipino on death row in Dammam for killing a Saudi national.
Earlier, Astillero sent an email to the Philippine Embassy saying that the latter had blocked his appointment. He said: “I was shocked to hear from Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz during our meeting on March 14 that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, the institution that honored me as Outstanding Filipino in Saudi Arabia in 1990, blocked my appointment to the POEA board.”
In an reply to Astillero's email, Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago said: “I assure you that the Philippine Embassy had not received any request from Secretary Baldoz on your appointment as POEA board member”.
Tago also said he did not know that Astillero was a candidate for the position.
“Before blaming or pointing the finger to any person, I would like to verify first if anyone from the attached agencies in Riyadh had received such a request or sent an unsolicited comment or reservation on your appointment,” Tago added.
Justifying his nomination to the POEA board, Astillero said that the hospital he used to work for in the Saudi capital had not done anything wrong to its Filipino staff.
“The hospital I used to work for was one of the best hospitals in Saudi Arabia, giving wages and all benefits on time,” he said.
