19 distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) WON legal case against an abusive Employer in Saudi Arabia BUT STILL IN TROUBLE
19 distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) WON legal case against Abusive Employer in Saudi Arabia BUT STILL IN TROUBLE
19 distressed OFWs in Saudi Arabia are living in hell after they forced themselves to stop working due to the alleged abuse of their employer.
According to Migrante-Middle East (M-ME), local chapter in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in November 2011, the distressed OFWs decided to stopped working because three consecutive months of their salaries were being held by their employer while others have been deducted $500USD over their delayed salaries.
The Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, Migrante's Riyadh-based chapter, identified 17 OFWs:
1. VALENTINO MALIDAS
2. RENE MAGPALE
3. LOUIEL DACANAY
4. RUFINO CABISON
5. NORBERTO MARIPOSQUE
6. TRISTRAM SERRANTES
7. PLARIDEL VARGAS
8. LOWEL LASTIMOSA
9. SATURNINO ALOJADO
10. ALEJANDRO TENDERO
11. SONNY DE JESUS
12. NOEL LOGENIO
13. LOYD CANOY
14. IAN MALAZARTE
15. JUN MAR ANCHETA
16. RICKY TYNACAO
17. ANDRO PADILLO
Most of the OFWs were deployed sometime in 2010 as drivers to Al-Sabillah, a construction and trucking company.
John Leonard Monterona, M-ME regional coordinator, said that they’ve already endorsed their case to Riyadh-based Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), who has the jurisdiction over their case since November 2011. However, the OFWs lamented they’re ‘still waiting for POLO’s action particularly calling the attention of their employer to settle their legitimate demand such as the release of their unpaid salaries, unpaid overtime work, and the illegal deduction from thei respective salaries.
Monterona, who is on his annual vacation, noted that on December 27, 2011, he personally accompanied the kin of the 5 distressed OFWs to formally file a formal repatriation request at the POEA Repatriation Unit (RU), POEA main office in Ortigas. ‘The kin also filed a complaint against their employer and the agencies that deployed them.’
“We came to know that some of the recruitment agencies were closed. There are two which are still active, thus we urged the POEA-RU to send a notice to attend on the labor problem of their deployed OFWs,” Monterona added.
“The distressed OFWs have been calling me and our Migrante officers in Riyadh everyday pleading for assistance and for their daily subsistence. We have asked our members near their area to provide food for them while awaiting action from POLO-OWWA,” Monterona added.
Monterona said on December 28, 2011 he sent an electronic mail to OWWA chief Carmelita Dimzon endorsing the kin to avail family assistance loan as the distressed OFWs are bonafide OWWA members, in which the latter replied to let the OFWs’ kin proceed to OWWA main office in Pasay.
A video leaked in March 2012
OFW Camaraderies posted a video(taken sometime in March 2012) in their Facebook page in which it shows the victims and NOEL LOGENIO narrating their current situation in the province of Al-Jouf, about 1,600km north of Riyadh, KSA.
The group was seeking help from our Embassy. They were facing the same struggles and all of them were fighting for their survival due to lack of food supplies. Kind OFWs near the area provided them with some assistance while waiting for the aid of the Philippine government.
The efforts of the government were hardly felt by the Filipino victims.
In the video, Noel Logenio said that they experienced extreme maltreatment of their employer. Some of them were hit, punched, etc. One of his colleagues was brought to the desert and was threatened to be killed. Majority of OFWs chanced their employer pointing gun at them.
Now, after one year, here's the latest news
According to OFW Camaraderies Administrators, the 19 distressed OFWs won the case against their employer, Al-Sabillah. The employer, Saudi Arabia labor agency, and the victims legally signed a court agreement which indicated that the employer is bound to pay 21,000 Riyal (around Php 230K) to each victim in one month starting yesterday, January 19, 2013.
Majority of the victims claimed that it would be a big miracle if their employer will comply with the required amount stated in the agreement. Nevertheless, the group wanted to obtain their exit visa as soon as possible so that they can fly back to the Philippines sooner than expected.
Most of the victims are still trying to pursue a new job in Saudi Arabia despite this incident. Some of them claimed that there are employers who shows interest in hiring them as part of their labor force. However, the group are afraid of losing this opportunity if all of them are blacklisted in Saudi Arabia.
The 19 distressed OFWs still don't have their IQAMA but they are now allowed to freely go out of their residential houses.
Source: Migrante's blogspot page, OFW Camaraderies facebook page, and names listed in the article
Update#1: Per OFW Camaraderies' note. SAMPILAK is the group who took care of the 19 jobless OFWs. Thanks to YUSOPH SALEH who dedicated his time in all court hearings despite the death threat he received during the course of the investigation. YUSOPH SALEH is a Filipino translator who travelled a long distance just to join the hearing sessions.
Update#2: According to Tristram Serrantes (one of the victims), their employer will be jailed if they fail to pay them in 30 days. Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy is negotiating the authorities in KSA. Per Tristram, a letter from POLO will be sent to the Arabian governor in the next few days.
Update#3: Jerryl Lochee Credo said that this case was featured by international media in 2012 and was also broadcasted by Manny Calpito in United States.
Update#4: The President of SAMPILAK, Mila Lapuz, wrote and informed us that the OFW victims are safe. SAMPILAK is hoping that these victims can sooner get their VISAs and return to their respective families in the Philippines before February 17, 2013 which marks their one (1) year stay under SAMPILAK's custody.