Press Release No. 39

Embassy of the Philippines - Riyadh
23 December 2003

16 OFWs Clear Philippine Embassy

The 16 OFWs who had occupied part of the Philippine Chancery for eight days have cleared the Mission of being the cause of their problems.

In a statement freely given to the Diplomatic police, the group said their problems were with their employers, and not the Embassy.

Moreover, the workers also promised not to repeat what they have done - infiltrate themselves into the Embassy and stage a "hunger strike."

The Embassy also gathered that some of the members of group were clearly misled by the strike planners and their leaders.

They were made to believe that once they stage a hunger strike and stay indefinitely inside the Embassy, they could not be removed until they are repatriated all together, which was what they demanded.

"Hindi pala totoo na hindi tayo puwedeng paalisin" (So its not true that we cannot be removed), one of them was heard as saying.

At some stage in their eight-day "strike" the Embassy also learned that the group expected others to reinforce their ranks as promised by their handlers.

This failed however, as even during the early stage of the "strike" four abandoned the group when they realized that they were only being used by the sponsors of the "strike."