News: OFW found dead in Saudi’s Batha, group calls on PH embassy to investigate

News Release

15 February 2011

OFW found dead in Saudi’s Batha, group calls on PH embassy to investigate

Citing reports from its officer based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a Filipino migrant rights group today said an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was found dead in Batha, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The OFW who was identified as ‘Cris’, is a ‘TNT’ or undocumented. Initial information reveals he is suffering from tuberculosis.

“At around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, according to the accounts of those who had seen ‘Cris’, he is puffing blood from his mouth, then suddenly he collapsed into the ground near an electronic shop in Batha, Riyadh,” Mike Garlan, Migrante-Saudi Arabia chapter Secretary-General said.

The incident had been reported to the local police; minutes later authorities arrived along with medical team to attend on ‘Cris’. At around 3:45 p.m., he has been declared dead by the attending medical personnel who tried to rescue him, according to OFWs who have seen ‘Cris’ at that moment.

Upon knowing the incident, John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle east regional coordinator, asked Migrante officers in Riyadh to call the attention of the PH embassy to dispatch a quick reaction team to investigate the said incident.

“Unfortunately, when the embassy staff reached Batha, ‘Cris’ remains had been taken by the Saudi’s authority out from the place; we are still trying to locate where his remains has been brought,” Monterona added.

Monterona said he hoped that he is not the undocumented sick OFW his group has been helping for the past months, who is also suffering from tuberculosis.

“We are urging the PH embassy to closely follow his case, properly identify the OFW, his status and other personal circumstances, and immediately inform his family,” Monterona added.

Monterona said KGS-Migrante in Riyadh will help facilitate the repatriation of his remains and belongings and will ask OWWA to provide assistance to his family.

Reference:

John Leonard Monterona

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator

Mobile No. 00966 535 921228

Filipino migrant group in solidarity with the Egyptian people; urges P-Noy to speak out against Mubarak regime

Press Release

2 February 2011

Filipino migrant group in solidarity with the Egyptian people; urges P-Noy to speak out against Mubarak regime

Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of various Filipino migrant rights groups in the Middle East, today strongly condemned the on-going crackdown on freedom of the Egyptian people to express their justified grievances against a perceived corrupt and repressive regime under three-decade rule of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Last week after urging the Aquino government to bare contingency plans to secure the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Egypt specifically in Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez, Migrante-Middle East said it could very well understand the grounds and motivating factors that led the Egyptian people to protest against its government, specifically demanding the ouster of its president.

“Chapters of Migrante in the Middle East support the Egyptian people in their present struggle against unemployment, economic hardships caused by massive corruption in the government and anti-people economic policies, repression of their political and socio-economic rights, and their struggle for national and social liberation from imperialism and local reactionary regime, as the Filipino people shares the same adverse situation with the Egyptians and other oppressed people around the world,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional director.

Monterona observed the recent people’s resistance in Tunisia, and now in Egypt, and maybe in other mid-east countries as well is inevitable as their respective governments are perceive to becoming more repressive causing havoc to the economic and socio-political life of its own people.

“To concretely express our solidarity with the Egyptians and other peace loving people in the Middle East, Migrante chapters in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Libya will hold indoor activities inviting Egyptian expatriates to speak and share their struggles, sentiments, hopes and aspirations with us,” Monterona added.

A simultaneous press conference by Migrante chapters will be held as well with Egyptian expatriate workers joining Migrante officers in Saudi Arabia to denounce the on-going crackdown and repression by the forces loyal to Mubarak regime.

Monterona citing local reports the arrest of six Al Jazeera journalists covering the massive protest rallies in Egypt is condemnable and a cause for alarm as the Mubarak regime could still quell its people’s just resistance.

Monterona said these are continuing repressions by the Mubarak regime amid massive protest by the Egyptians that heads of state must speak out and condemn – some head of states and government had already spoken as the Egyptian struggle is gaining support from the international community.

“We strongly urge P-Noy to take a stand and issue his own version of condemnation and would be glad to hear him call for Mubarak to step down –that is if he has respect on the collective power of a disgruntled people in toppling despotic and corrupt regimes,” Monterona ended. # # #

Reference:

John Leonard Monterona

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator

Mobile No. 00966 564 978 012