[RESOLVED] Ofw Tsikoteer (and Others) In Riyadh Desperately Need Our Help

[architect]

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A brother-in-law of mine was imprisoned once in Saudi (2 weeks in – Rabigh – a fishing village between Jeddah & Yanbu) and told me that Saudi prisons do not appear as how others think they are. It’s pretty comfortable, with several works inside (laundry, woodworks, etc.) that commands a good salary per month (at net) apart from free food & accommodation. And that is only the main prison in a small fishing Village of Rabigh (now being transformed into one of the 16 Mega-Cities) way back in 1987;
[SIZE=3]2.[/SIZE]Most prisons (real prisons) in the Kingdom have their own hospitals, canteens (mess halls), libraries and other amenities that are even far better than our best jail or prison here;
[SIZE=3]3.[/SIZE]Half-way prisons (i.e., traffic police jails, early reported and non-convicted prisoners’ jail, etc.), however (way back 1987), are not as good and pretty much the same as how your email below described them;

[SIZE=3]The Jawasat means immigration and the Shumeisy Main Office of Jawasat is the deportation area where all undocumented / illegal aliens in Riyadh are detained. It is not like the prisons you described at all.

[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] If you were so kind enough to be as observant as you wanted me to be, item # 4 below says pretty much the same thing as what you are saying here, though I prefer your explanation better.

[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]4.[/SIZE]In your forwarded email, you said that they are in the “Cell # 6 Simisi Main Office of Jawasat because their employer had failed to process their eqama (work permit).” I do not know if my knowledge in Arabic still holds right (or even the rules in Saudi Arabia), but the office you just mentioned has nothing to do at all with Saudi prison. The office you are mentioning is pretty much like our BID (Bureau of Immigration & Deportation) and yes, if their employer really did failed to secure their Iqama, then their staying illegally;

[SIZE=3]Yes it has nothing to do at all with regular Saudi prisons because it is a detention center for illegal aliens.

[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] I have personally never seen their detention centres, only their Iqama offices. I’m sorry, I cannot contribute much here.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]5.[/SIZE]Your forwarded email, however, is inconsistent – one part it says failed to secure, another says failed to renew. If the employer failed to secure, then the offense is more realistic, however stupid and gross. Renewing is far too early at this time as it is usually renewed at a period no less than 1-year. Hence, the email doesn’t make sense;

[SIZE=3]Kindly re-read the letter. Nowhere does it say the employer “failed to secure.” Instead it said “employer had failed to process their eqama,” simply because the writer, Elaine Luga, wife of Enrico Luga, wasn’t so sure whether the employer managed to secure their work permits the first time around and have simply failed to renew them or simply never secured them in the first place.

[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] Ah, therefore, it is a matter of assuming rather than straight facts, isn’t it? Elaine Luga, wife of Enrico, “wasn’t so sure whether the employer managed to secure their work permits and first time around” is sufficient to say (having been there myself) that they have been illegal or undocumented from the very beginning. There are of course many questions that need to be asked. An interview with Ms. Luga would really help, in the presence of any government (or church or any NGO) officer of course. Has this matter been referred to our Embassy in Riyadh?[/SIZE]

[architect]

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[SIZE=3]6.[/SIZE]The case is far too long not to be noticed by our Phil. Embassy, where your email said they are (Capital city of Riyadh – the seat of government & embassies), and our ever nosy media (NOTE: they have field reporters stationed there – some of the OFWs posing as “cub-reporters”);

[SIZE=3]Perhaps you may want to check your facts and find out for yourself who informed the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.

[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] Indeed I have. As I mentioned in my reply to my schoolmate, I had a chance to talk to our Labour Attaché in Riyadh (Resty dela Fuente) who is now in Manila for his X’mas vacation (not sure about the last part though) and he seems to be unaware of this matter. But he did promise to look into this as soon as he gets back to Riyadh and if I don’t get any email in 15-days, that means he has found nothing at all – and can dismiss this as a scam. Those where his words (paraphrasing of course). LabAtt Resty is one posted government employee who came from the very grass-roots way back in his days with OWWA. And welfare is just his 2nd best nature. I have already made this matter known to him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]On the other hand, indeed you are correct, the Embassy being an office of many departments, the consulate, ATNs, etc. might already be in-charge of this case, without informing the POLO. Coordination, as I have notice, is not seemingly a feature one can expect from any government. One way or another, there is a flaw.

[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]7.[/SIZE]If this is suppose to be a huge or previously good company, until he ran into financial trouble, why is his identity being withheld? If he is sent to Saudi Arabia by a licensed recruitment company in the Philippines , we could trace it and ask their assistance as well, by virtue of “JOINT AND SOLIDARY LIABILITY” – POEA’s Damocles’ sword over us and our license;
[SIZE=3]Nowhere in the letter does it say the employer is a huge or previously good company. And the rationale for withholding his identity is stated also. Please re-read the letter.

[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] My only purpose of trying to get to the bottom of this, is get the real truth, bring the matter to the proper authorities (if at all possible) here in Manila, possibly learn the agency who deployed them, so that the industry could somehow react and do something about the poor and incarcerated OFWs thru POEA or DFA. It is not like this is the first time we (as an industry) have done this. Can you imagine? April 2006 and neither government did anything about it? If we can save a housemaid who really held the knife and stabbed her employer, how hard it is to bring out people who just had documentation problems with their host government?

[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]8.[/SIZE]The first (and I thought the only – until now) bus assembly & manufacturer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is my oldest (since 1970’s) and still existing client AAA (Arabian Auto Agencies) based in Jeddah;

[SIZE=3]You thought wrong.
[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] Did I? My apologies.

[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]9.[/SIZE]I am an auto-buff (enthusiast) myself and I have never heard of the auto-industry in the Philippines having “automobile designers” even in the 2nd-hand/re-selling or rebuilding (for totally-wrecked or old model car restorers) industry; and

[SIZE=3]Perhaps you simply socialize in different circles and not with local automobile designers, which admittedly is an informal group and which the Tsikot forum is trying to formalize.

[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] My apologies again. True enough, I am in the wrong circle myself. My old ex-car buff buddies are either dead or recuperating in last New Year’s reverie. Hope you will understand that I have nothing against your “tsikot” or its advocacy. I am only against the agencies sending OFWs (or OCWs) ending up us jobless.

[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]10.[/SIZE]The website you just asked me to visit (http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45882) is not even an advocacy eGroup or website dedicated for these poor incarcerated OFWs, but a auto-buff’s website discussing auto-detailing & selling car accessories.

[SIZE=3]Does the Tsikot forum have to be an OCW advocacy group in order to try to help save Filipinos, especially if one of them is its own member?

[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] I honestly do not know. You tell me.[/SIZE]

[architect]

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[SIZE=3]Thought you should know. We take things like these very seriously not because we never had other serious things to do. We just want to protect the image of this “bad media”-laden industry (no thanks to the government), which is close to already dying.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]You claim to take these things very seriously but you are very quick to dismiss this case as a potential scam (and immediately forwarded it to several email groups as such) without verifying the facts. A very quick read of the Tsikot thread would have informed you that, in fact, several other forums, organizations, and individuals have contacted the group and verified their story.[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] As I used the word, “POTENTIAL”, of course, the reaction on our discussion would prove one of right or wrong – that is the end in mind of this discussion. I’m afraid my quick read of the Tsikot thread wasn’t quick enough to see what you have, and my apologies for it. I have of course no intention to put down the website’s cause and I honestly didn’t see what you just did.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]And if you were to do a little bit of extra reading, you will realize that Tsikot has a very substantial number of OCW members and in fact the Saudi Arabian OCW thread is very much active.[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] You are correct, I should have. If I may add to what I have written, I was an OCW once (c. 1982~1987 – pretty much on and off, 6~10 months contracts). Hence, I really take these things seriously. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]It saddens me to see a fellow D3810 Rotarian miss the opportunity to be of service to others and instead pre-maturely dismiss the case as potential scam. It could have been a lot more constructive for you, given your stature as a highly successful businessman, to mobilize your network, especially your own RC, to help bring the OCWs home safely to their families and help them get re-started with their lives. It is not too late.[Raul J. de Vera, Jr.] Anything is possible under the heat of the sun, and you of all people should know that. I am still at anger with the many pyramiding scams made by many Filipino families, some of them are still in Malacañang and the Senate, who really destroyed so many families’ hard-earn monies by luring quick-buck scams. What did any government do? Just put it on the newspaper and that’s the end of it. While hundreds of millions gone into smoke and the owner of that defunct pyramiding company spends their weekends at Tagaytay Highlands and now owns huge food company. My fight is with my own kind (the licensed recruitment agencies and their agents) who send workers everywhere and simply dump them there. Being an ex-OCW myself, I could no longer take if such things would only end up in a scam. And if it is for real, then you have my unequivocal support. By all means, let’s get them out of that jail or prison![/SIZE]

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[architect]

And my reply to him -

[SIZE=2]Dear Mr. de Vera,[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Thank you so much for your prompt response and more importantly, for maintaining your objective viewpoint re the matter.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]As I subsequently posted in the Tsikot thread, the Tsikot research and design core group is in regular communication (via email, PM, YM) with one another, especially our OCW members based overseas. Enrico usually responds immediately. The times he won’t have access to the Internet, he usually informs us ahead of time. Then he stopped replying around the second week of December. After a week of not hearing from him, I personally contacted his wife. It was only then that I learned of the situation. Even then she did not solicit our help. I was the one who offered. I then contacted Mon Tulfo and the Tsikot owners. Both parties did their own verification and talked to the wife, Elaine, personally. It was after verifying the situation that Tsikot decided to post the thread even though Enrico has been a very active member. Hence, we know that whole situation is not a scam.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]As a fellow Rotarian, I fully understand your cynicism. I, too, am guilty of that as well. Especially if some of the facts do not add up, as you have pointed out in this case. In hindsight, perhaps we should have added that Elaine, as things are, has been very distraught over the matter. In addition, as in the case of most OCW spouses, she is not aware of the full details of the work condition of her husband. Hence, the incomplete and sometimes ambiguous details.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]As for your offer of help, I am sure the OCW families, as well as those of us helping them, will be appreciative and grateful for whatever help you can provide. Given your stature and network, I am sure that will be something of significance. If I may, I would like to suggest that when you have finally verified the facts for yourself, that you email your groups again with your findings. I am afraid, at this time that the recipients may have decided, based on your original letter, to regard the case as a scam even though you clearly qualified as “potential.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]While our initial efforts is in bringing them home, the group will need further assistance in getting back on their feet, especially if they are not paid their back wages. So we are hoping that we can, especially with the help of individuals like you who can make a difference, raise some funds for them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]As an aside, having had a glimpse of your character and interests via your correspondence, may I invite you to join Tsikot, especially the R&D sub-forum. It may interest you that we are actually designing and developing our own Pinoy cars.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Lastly, I have taken the liberty of posting your reply in the Tsikot thread. I think it is only fair so that others may fully understand your position. I hope you don’t mind.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Once again, on behalf of the OCW families, maraming salamat po.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Sincerely,[/SIZE]



[SIZE=2]PS. Tsikot OFW sub-forum - http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=51[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]The Saudi Arabia thread is here - http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15468[/SIZE]

[architect]

Fellow Tsikoteers,

Just want to share with you the following:

[SIZE=2]Dear Jun (that's Mr. Raul de Vera, Jr., who contacted him),[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=2]My office will contribute one ticket back to Manila. Lets bring them home and help them real Jobs Overseas or here in Manila.
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[SIZE=2]Regards,[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=2]Lito B. Soriano[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]LBS e-Recruitment Solutions Corporation[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]www.e-recruitment.com.ph[/SIZE]
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On behalf of the OFWs and their families, thank you so much, Mr. Soriano. Thank you, too, Mr. de Vera for taking the initiative to contact him.

[elainemml]

Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat. Sa bumubuo ng grupong tsikot, Mr. Jeffrey Kho, Mr. Jimuel Dancel, Mr. Ramon Tulfo, Mr. ********, Pox, Ms. Leslie, Sir Juntzo, Sir Vtec, Doc oobah, Sir Bhong, Peace Foundation, Mr. Lito B. Soriano, Mr. Raul de Vera Jr. and to all who offered prayers. Thank you so much in the bottom of our hearts. Amin pong nauunawaan ang damdamin ng ibang tao kung sakaling sila po ay nag aalinlangan tungkol po sa aming ginagawang proyekto para po makatulong sa ating mga kababayan na nabiktima po sa Riyadh. Di po kasi natin sila masisisi gawa sa maraming mga scam ngayon na lumalabas. Subalit tama po si architect na di po ito isang scam at kung sakali pong ninanais nyo kaming makausap o yun pong mismong mga taong involve dito ay may nakasaad naman pong mga telephone numbers kung saan po ninyo sila makakausap ng personal. Marami na rin pong nagkusang tumulong po sa kanila at tumawag ng diretso upang sila po mismo ang makarinig kung ano po ang tunay na nangyari sa kanila doon. Ito pong ginagawa namin ngayon ay isang proyekto na kusang loob at kahit po ano ang pwede nyong maitulong ay lubos po kaming nagpapasalamat dito kahit po sa panalangin ay isang napakalaking bagay po para saming pamilya ng na naging biktima. Naniniwala po kasi akong Prayers works at lalo na po kung marami ang mag pray mas magiging malakas po ito. Inaasahan po namin na makauwi na sila sa lalong madaling panahon at mabigyan na sila ng karampatang lunas sa kanilang mga karamdaman ngayon. Nasa isang lugar po sila na walang electricty hanggang sa mga oras po na ito at hanggang sa ngayon at delikado pa rin po ang lagay nila habang di pa po sila nailalagay sa isang safe na lugar na gaya ng OWWA na kaya po silang mabigyan ng proteksyon sa anumang oras. Kahit po sila nakalabas na sa ngayon sa kulungan or detention center parang ganun pa rin po ang sitwasyon nila ngayon gawa nasa isang lugar po sila na hindi sila makaalis man lamang sa takot na mahuli po uli gawa ng kawalan ng dokumento at legal na papeles. Amin pong panalangin na matapos na po ito at makapiling na po natin sila sa ating sariling bansa. Mag silbing isang lesson na po ito para sa lahat na dapat ay maging segurado sila bago sila tumanggap ng isang project lalo na po sa ibang bansa at kung ano po ang magiging karapatan nila doon kung sakaling magkaka problema. Maraming salamat po uli sa inyong lahat at magandang gabi. God bless us all.

Taos Pusong nagpapasalamat,
Elaine

[ooba99]

fellow tsikoteers and friends,

alam po namin na madaming scams sa internet na naglalabasan sa ngayon at di natin masisisi na magkakaroon ng ibat ibang pananaw ang mga taong makakabasa ng letter, but rest assured na we will not use tsikot para mabiktima ng mga scam na ito, several days before i posted the letter of mrs. elaine luga, ilang beses na namin naverify lahat ng facts, we even postponed yung pagpost at paghingi ng tulong coz the enriko and the group was hoping na maayos agad problem nila duon at babalikan sila ng employer nila, but di nangyari ang inaasahan nila.

at ayon nga kay sir architect, kami po mismo ang nagvolunteer na gumawa ng paraan para makakalap ng tulong.

Nagpapasalamat po kaming lahat dahil nanaig pa din po ang tiwala nyo sa tsikot at di po kayo nagdalawang isip tumulong at sumuporta at magbigay ng prayers for this cause.

I never doubted the first time you called for help. You have my trust and confidence. Probably it helped that I have met you personally and the people behind Tsikot.

In my humble way, I gave the hard-earned money (though comparatively small) in the hope it will snowball other pledges and contributions among local tsikoteers. I believe in charity and am happy to be of help in whatever way I can.

And I admire people who can be selfless and can go out of their way to be able to help other people with nothing expected in return. Kudos to all the people behind this cause!!!


To ma'am Elaine, wala pung anuman. I ardently pray that this will be resolved soonest.

[architect]

Update from ******** -

Hello dante and to the team.

yup they were out of the jawasat. i asked them kung bakit
nakalabas sila for deportation sabi nila malakas daw talaga
ang amo nila. and now balik sila sa barracks nila para tapusin
ang projects.

we tackled this subject with engineer sabig ang pinoproblema
namin kung papano makukuha yong 5 months delayed salary
and others para sa kanila.. pero ang problema kung makauwi
na sila.

In our opinion sila ay dapat mapauwi na talaga dahil walang
tigil ang violations na ito kung hindi mapauwi. knowing that
their visas are non working visas. we have to submit another
report to engineer sabig .In my opinion, kaya sila pinalabas
ng jawasat ay dahil kailangan pa nilang makuha yong claims
nila na sahod. at hindi naman po makatarungan kung magstay
sila sa deportation.

consular attache ******** is scheduled to meet them on
saturday. bro roland you must be ready for this.

ate ellene and anna, please make a request for assistance to
engineer sabig. just send the fax to the consulate of jeddah
cc philippine embassy. pls specify yong requests natin na
makuha yong salary.

when i talked with enrico, sabi nya they are working 12 hours
a day. at minsa magwork pa sila ng friday.. at sa holidays like
eid il fitr and eid al adha ay nawork din sila.. kaya isama na
rin ito sa complaint natin.

ito lang po muna. we will try to meet the guys on sunday. with
tomas and roland. bro roland pakikulit na lang kay ka tom.

tatawag din ako sa kanya.. ito lang po muna..

tas

[architect]

Latest text messages of ehnriko as forwarded by Elaine -

Nagmeeting kami ni FAHAD just now sa bahay nya. Gusto nyang ipatapos sa amin yung 6 units, kahit walang pintura. Kaso di naman nya kayang ibigay ang kulang nyang 6 months na salary. At kung magpapauwi daw siya. 2 na tao lang daw. Dun kami nagtapos at pinauwi na kami. Talagang determinado siyang tapusin ito. Saka lang daw pwedeng umuwi pag tapos na. Kaso, ayaw nang magtrabaho ni Reden at Ronnie...Sakit ng ulo ko ngayon. I need prayers.

Binayaran ni Fahad ang rent for another year, wala syang balak akong pauwiin. At di nya priority ang pamilya ng mga tao, ineexpect nya talaga na tapusin namin ang project na to...Kasama pa chassis. I am so depressed now.

[maykel]

Latest text messages of ehnriko as forwarded by Elaine -

Nagmeeting kami ni FAHAD just now sa bahay nya. Gusto nyang ipatapos sa amin yung 6 units, kahit walang pintura. Kaso di naman nya kayang ibigay ang kulang nyang 6 months na salary. At kung magpapauwi daw siya. 2 na tao lang daw. Dun kami nagtapos at pinauwi na kami. Talagang determinado siyang tapusin ito. Saka lang daw pwedeng umuwi pag tapos na. Kaso, ayaw nang magtrabaho ni Reden at Ronnie...Sakit ng ulo ko ngayon. I need prayers.

Quote:
Binayaran ni Fahad ang rent for another year, wala syang balak akong pauwiin. At di nya priority ang pamilya ng mga tao, ineexpect nya talaga na tapusin namin ang project na to...Kasama pa chassis. I am so depressed now.

I met enriko last night with 3 of his team (Reden, Ronnie, Jun). Muntik nga di matuloy yun pagkikita namin dahil dumating yun assistant ng boss nila don sa workplace at binabantayan sila kaya di sila makaalis. Mabuti na lang at umalis na bandang hapon yun assistant at natuloy sila sa meeting place. Naglakas loob lang sila lumabas kahit wala silang dala na papeles with them.

They told their story nung nasa loob sila ng kulungan for 20 days, walang maayos na pagkain, tubig daw na inumin ay sa CR kinukuha, di daw sila makatulog kaya nagkasakit na sila sa loob ng kulungan. They even showed me yun pix inside sa kulungan taken gamit yun cel at talaga naman ang dami nila sa loob at siksikan.

Pinakita din ni Enriko yun ginawa nila na truck thru digi cam. buo na yun kaha, pero wala pa din makina since di naman nag poprovide ng fund yun employer nila. i'll post the pics here nga sana kaso lang tinawagan si enriko ni Fahad (employer nila) at hinahanap sila. pinasundo sila sa driver and di ko nakuha yun mga pics sa cam.

Request nila ay prayers dahil mahirap talaga yun pinagdadaanan nila ngayon. Wala sila control and wala din sila choice kung di sumunod sa employer nila.