Team formed to help OFWs in Saudi

MANILA -- Malacanang said Wednesday that the government has formed teams that will assist Filipinos who would be arrested in Saudi Arabia.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that based on the report of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), no Filipinos have so far been arrested amid the crackdown being conducted by Saudi authorities against illegal foreign workers.

“The DFA and the Consulate General, as well as Philippine overseas labor officers, have formed teams that will visit jails, police stations, and deportation centers to come to the aid of any Filipino worker that may be affected by this policy,” he said.

Coloma also said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has authorized the hiring of Saudi lawyers to provide necessary legal assistance to any Filipino who would be arrested.

As of November 6, a total of 4,587 Filipinos have been repatriated, while 1,433 are awaiting immigration clearance, and 450 others are housed in temporary shelters where they are being provided with food, medicine, and other basic necessities, he said.

There are approximately 660,000 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, according to official estimates of the Saudi Interior Ministry.

A team led by Undersecretaries Jesus Yabes of DFA

and Parisya Taradji of the Department of Social Welfare and Development are in Saudi Arabia to meet with concerned Saudi authorities and to check the condition of undocumented Filipinos, Coloma said.

“Diplomatic representations are being made to ensure continued Saudi government assistance in repatriation efforts and protection of the rights of undocumented Filipinos,” he added.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Wednesday meanwhile warned Filipinos in Saudi against acquiring fake documents in order to avoid the crackdown.

“I sternly advise illegal Filipinos in Saudi Arabia not to further aggravate their situation. Using fake or forged documents in Saudi Arabia, like anywhere else, is a criminal offense,” said Baldoz. Baldoz issued the statement amid reports of some individuals offering fake Philippine and Saudi documents for a fee to illegal OFWs facing possible arrest, imprisonment, and deportation.

Citing a report from Philippine Labor Attaché in Riyadh Rustico dela Fuente, certain Sunny Robredo (alias Nasanciano Robredo), Albert Guanzon, Aiza Monares, and their cohorts have been reported to claim they can obtain fake Philippine and Saudi documents, such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, and iqamas (residence permits) for a fee.

“There is no need for illegal Filipinos to employ the services of these con men to produce for them fake documents,” said Baldoz.

Undocumented OFWs will be facing jail terms, fines, and eventual deportation once they are hit by the expected Saudi crackdown on migrant workers.

The crackdown comes after the deadline for migrant workers to correct their legal statuses in Saudi expired last Sunday.