Car designer in Saudi wants to go home

A housewife is calling on the Philippine government to help her husband and five of his work mates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, return to the country.

ABS-CBN’s Dominic Almelor reported that vehicle designer Enrico Luga and his team of five are all illegally in Saudi Arabia, but their employer will not allow them to leave and is virtually holding them hostage.

Salgado started out as a designer of vehicles, cars, jeepneys, buses and trucks, and he displayed pictures of his original creations on the Internet.

His designs were noticed by an Arab businessman in August 2006 and commissioned Luga to design a special truck for him.

Armed with a business visa valid for six months, Luga and his design team of five hied off to Saudi Arabia. Upon the expiration of their visas, their employer would not let them leave, saying they did not have the proper work permits anyway.

Now, Luga claims their employer is telling them to finish six units of the special truck or die.

This has caused Luga’s wife, Elaine, to worry about her husband.

She said her husband and the other members of his team are now suffering from weak lungs.

Elaine also said although the case has reached the ears of the Department of Foreign Affairs, she is still appealing for immediate action on her husband’s case.

"Talagang hinihiling ko sa Presidente na mapauwi na sila agad -- maimpluwensiya ang Arabo (I am asking the President to help get them home immediately since the Arabs are very influential)," she said.

She added "lagi kong hinhiling na makauwi na sila – buhay ang importante (I am always hoping that they will finally come home, their lives are important)."

To those aspiring to work abroad, Elaine Luga said they should learn from what happened to her husband and his team. "Dapat talaga dumaan sa POEA, OWWA o DFA – madali silang masasagip (Your employment should always be coursed through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Department of Foreign Affairs so that they can easily be rescued).ABSCBN News

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