|
The immediate repatriation of the 'KAMI-SR 16' - the Filipinos from the distressed workers organization, Kapatiran ng mga Migranteng Stranded sa Riyadh (KAMI-SR, Brotherhood of Migrants Stranded in Riyadh) who staged a hunger strike last December remains unclear as bureaucratic red-tape in government, dilly-dallying from government officials and the imposition of the Omnibus Policies of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) remains as major setbacks in the immediate procurement and release of their air tickets.
This is contrary to the implications of the latest update on their case as reported by Veronica Uy ("Saudi gov't recommends exit visas to 16 Filipino workers" 13 January 2003 / inq7.net).
Quoting Vince Borneo of MIGRANTE National Headquarters. Ms. Uy reported: "...the 16 could easily leave Saudi Arabia as the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration would shoulder their plane fare back to the Philippines."
The two documents that would ensure their exit from Saudi soil has already been secured by the group.
The recommendation for their exit through deportation which shall serve as exit visa was received from the Saudi Arabian authorities as early as December 25.
Their travel document as replacement for their passports, has also been signed as of January 7 through the prompt assistance of Riyadh Labor Attache Manuel Roldan.
With these two documents ready, the group are only waiting for airtickets.
However, before we entertain false hopes, please be informed that the supposed commitments by the DFA, the OWWA, the POEA or any other concerned government agency for the said tickets were in fact, remain as "rumors" until now.
Airtickets, Needed Urgently!
As early as December 28, MIGRANTE Saudi Arabia received reports from one regional OWWA office that a certain amount was supposed to have been released for the purpose but it was proven nowhere to be found.
In a letter to MIGRANTE dated 8 January 2004, Director IV Ricardo R. Casco of the Welfare & Employment Office of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said they were able to identify six names (out of the 16) and has already informed their respective deploying agencies concerning the procurement of their air tickets.
Nothing was heard again from Dir. Casco about this matter or from any other government institution since then.
Last December 28, Labor Attache (and former Riyadh Welfare Officer) Angel Borja assured the 'KAMI-SR 16' that their air tickets would be appropriated immediately.
As of January 11, Borja finally was able to process their requests for PTA (air tickets) after requiring the personal appearance of the 16 in the POLO offices, a requirement which MIGRANTE believes is irrelevant because the Labor Attache himself is authorized to do the said request and would endanger the safety of the 'stranded' as proven by the events after four among the group was again accosted by Saudi police at the entrance gate of the Diplomatic Quarters.
Following LabAtt Borja's logic, the said request would be submitted to the DOLE headquarters in Manila and the results may take at least, two weeks.
Normally, the air tickets are shouldered by the agency that deployed the distressed migrant worker.
The lukewarm response on the issue from officials such as Casco and Borja are only as normal (read: bureaucratic) as any government functionary can be and therefore, we cannot expect any immediate relief.
Scrap OWWA Omnibus Policies!
In its 2002 Annual Report, OWWA provided 667 OFWs with return tickets.
But with the advent of the OWWA Omnibus Policies- a policy which shall remain in place accoring to Acting Labor Secretary Manuel Imson and which stipulates that repatriation of the distressed migrant worker shall be shouldered by the deploying agency (or the person himself, normally in case the recruitment agency cannot be made accountable, again following Borja's logic) in accordance with the existing Republic Act 8042 (Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995) - procurement of air tickets from OWWA funds may therefore be, hopeless.
From the diplomatic side, even with the series of representations, dialogues and pickets undertaken by Migrante in pursuit of their demands for repatriation, the Foreign Affairs Department is yet to take account of the issue.
We can understand that the government is walking a tightrope as far as budget allocations are concerned have they not alloted US$253,500 (P11,407,500) from the OWWA funds for the anticipated "massive evacuation" under Gen. Roy Cimatu during the Iraq invasion which unfortunately, remains unliquidated and unaccounted for, until now.
We can understand that the government has its processes and protocols in place have they not decided to call the assistance of the Saudi Diplomatic Quarters Security Force in forcing the 'KAMI-SR 16' out of the Philippine Embassy instead of opting for constant dialogue.
We can understand that the Philippine Embassy officials are so busy resolving the more than 300 or so cases of 'stranded' or 'distressed' migrant workers in Riyadh alone have they not been defending the employers in the process of issuing wrongful information such as the supposed SR2,500 cash advance of Jaime dela Paz from employer Qaseem Zaidan Fajad; and waggling supposed criminal cases such as the alleged cases of theft filed against Paulino Buslon and Robert Pacquin and the embezzlement case against Domingo Yalung.
Undaunted and Hopeful
Depite all these, however, the 'KAMI-SR 16' remains undaunted and hopeful.
They have found the shelter long been denied by the Philippine government right in the hearts of their compatriots who understand their situation and are more than willing to face the adversity taking them in their fold entails.
They have found their strength in each other as they brave the cold airs of callous government officials and harsh nights of government irresponsibility.
They have found their voice in their wives, families and friends and the numerous others who have taken the cudgels for them in putting pressure on the Philippine government to immediately act positively to resolve the cases of migrant workers in distress and for their immediate repatriation.
We remain undaunted and hopeful, as we call on the POLO-POEA, OWWA and other concerned government officials to immediately hurdle the bureaucratic baggage and hasten the appropriation of air tickets from government funds.
We remain undaunted and hopeful, as we call on the concerned government diplomatic functionaries to muster the political will to serve and protect the interests of the migrant Filipinos and the magnanimity to face their perceived "adversaries" in a forum to iron out their differences.
We remain undaunted and hopeful, as we call on the migrant Filipinos all over the world to gather the strength to abolish the rotten OWWA Omnibus Policies who has not only limited services and benefits to the OFWs - whether 'stranded,' 'undocumented,' 'distressed' or whatever; but opens the funds to machinations by other groups with interests to the OFWs.
We remain,
A. Mangampo Ociones
MIGRANTE Saudi Arabia
email: migrante_ksa@yahoo.com
website: www.oocities.org/migrante_ksa |
MIGRANTE Saudi Arabia Condemns Arrest of Leaders of Filipino Migrant Organizations
