They were victims of illegal recruitment. Then, they were forced to work 30 hours straight and allowed to eat only once a day. When they complained, they were falsely accused and detained for four months. After the case against them has been dismissed, they waited in jail for more than a month before they were finally released because of the neglect of Philippine consulate officials.

BY RONALYN V. OLEA
MIGRANT WATCH
Bulatlat
Volume VIII, No. 23, July 13-19, 2008

Renato Garcia, Justino van Estulle and Ace Ferrer were among the ten Filipinos who were recruited by the Princess House Party Organizer. They left the Philippines on a two-month visit visa validity from November 2006 until May 2007. The recruitment agency assured them that their working visas would be processed upon arrival in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

They were deployed to different hotels. The agency told them they will work for ten hours a day with a salary of 750 dhs or P8,250 and another 5 dhs or P55 for overtime pay per hour.

Upon arrival in Dubai, however, a representative of the Princess House Party Organizer confiscated their passports and visas and were made to sign a contract written in Arabic without the benefit of translation.

Their working visas were not processed. They were made to exit Dubai from time to time and go to Qeshm Island in Iran so that their visa could be extended whenever they returned to Dubai.

Maltreatment

In a press conference, July 12, Estulle said that he, Garcia and Ferrer went to the Ministry of Labor to complain about the abuses they were experiencing in the hands of their employer.

Garcia said, “Pinagtatrabaho kami ng 30 oras. Labinglimang araw sa isang buwan di kami pinapakain, isang beses lang po. Kumain daw kami sa loob ng 15 minuto.” (We were forced to work for 30 straight hours. For 15 days, we were allowed to eat just once a day. We were given only 15 minutes to eat.)

Ferrer said that on March 29, their employer told him that they could go home but he was surprised when immigration authorities arrested the three of them. “Nalaman na lang namin sa police station na may kaso kami.” (We just found out that we were being charged when we arrived at the police station.)

Falsely accused and neglected

The three OFWs were arrested for allegedly vandalizing a copy of the Quoran.

Garcia said, “Nakulong kami sa Dubai nang walang kasalanan.” (We were detained for a crime we did not commit.)

Garcia related that they could hardly eat the food being served in prison. He said the prisoners came from different nationalities; there were about 16. “May iba-ibang sakit gaya ng hepa, sakit sa balat. Di namin alam kung nahawa na kami.” (Some prisoners were suffering from diseases like hepatitis and skin diseases. We don’t know if we were infected.)

The results of the forensic laboratory tests proved that the alleged handwritings, which defaced a copy of the Quoran, were not theirs. On May 15, the court issued a release order for the three of them.

“Sa kapabayaan ng Philippine consulate, tumagal pa kami ng isa’t kalahating buwan,” (Because of neglect by the Philippine consulate, we stayed there for another one and a half months.)Garcia said.

Garcia related that only the Filipino driver at the consulate office regularly visited them.

Culpability

Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International, deplored the culpability of the Arroyo government.

She said that when the three sought the help of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA), they were told that they are not covered by the services of OWWA because of their immigration status.

Regalado said, “Nariyan ang embahada para bigyang proteksyon ang lahat ng ating mga kababayang nagkakaproblema.” (The embassies are there to provide protection to all OFWs in distress.)

The group said they are pushing for Congressional inquiries on the conduct of embassy and consul officials in responding to the plight of OFWs.(Bulatlat.com)

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