Pinoy engineer missing in Northern Marianas
CHALAN LAULAU, Saipan – A male Filipino worker on Saipan Island has been reported missing by his family since July 29.
The missing OFW has been identified as Alex Matubis, 47, who has been working as a geodetic engineer/surveyor for almost 23 years in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI),
His brother, Arnold Matubis, who also works in Saipan, told GMANews.TV Thursday morning that they need the help of the community in finding his brother.
“Kung may impormasyon po kayo tungkol sa kanya, kontakin nyo ako sa 484-0226 o 234-5419. Sana makatulong din ang media (If you have information about him, contact me at 484-0226 or 234-5419. I hope the media can also help)," he said.
No newspaper or television report in the CNMI has so far been made about the missing OFW.
The pickup truck that he’s driving has also been reported missing.
AlexMatubis is from Bicol region in the eastern Philippines. He is a husband and a father to two children.
His family in the Philippines has also been informed about the incident, according to Arnold Matubis, who last saw his brother on July 28.
When he and friends didn’t hear from his brother since then, he reported the matter to the Department of Public Safety, the police agency of the CNMI.
“Ang sabi ng DPS, hindi pa daw pwedeng i-declare na missing person ang case kasi wala pang 72 hours. Pero ngayon, sobrang lagpas na ng 72 hours. Isang linggo na siyang nawawala (DPS said they couldn’t declare it a missing person case yet because it was still less than 72 hours at the time. But now, it’s been more than 72 hours. He’s been missing for a week)," Arnold Matubis said.
Irene Tantiado, a workers’ right advocate, also asked the Filipino community on Saipan to help in locating or providing any information about Arnold Matubis.
“Any information that you can give will help the family a lot," said Tantiado, from Cebu.
Arnold Matubis said DPS has yet to get back to them as to the status of any investigation about his brother.
He said they got information that the CNMI Division of Immigration has no record of Alex Matubis’ departure from the CNMI.
“So nandito pa siya sa Saipan. Nakita pa namin ang passport niya. Nasa akin na ang passport niya (So he must still be on Saipan. We saw his passport. I have his passport now)," Arnold Matubis said.
The two brothers do not share the same house in Saipan.
Saipan is about three hours away by plane from Manila. It is the capital of the CNMI, a US territory in the Western Pacific where over 18,000 of the documented foreign workers are Filipinos and Chinese. - GMANews.TV
The missing OFW has been identified as Alex Matubis, 47, who has been working as a geodetic engineer/surveyor for almost 23 years in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI),
His brother, Arnold Matubis, who also works in Saipan, told GMANews.TV Thursday morning that they need the help of the community in finding his brother.
“Kung may impormasyon po kayo tungkol sa kanya, kontakin nyo ako sa 484-0226 o 234-5419. Sana makatulong din ang media (If you have information about him, contact me at 484-0226 or 234-5419. I hope the media can also help)," he said.
No newspaper or television report in the CNMI has so far been made about the missing OFW.
The pickup truck that he’s driving has also been reported missing.
AlexMatubis is from Bicol region in the eastern Philippines. He is a husband and a father to two children.
His family in the Philippines has also been informed about the incident, according to Arnold Matubis, who last saw his brother on July 28.
When he and friends didn’t hear from his brother since then, he reported the matter to the Department of Public Safety, the police agency of the CNMI.
“Ang sabi ng DPS, hindi pa daw pwedeng i-declare na missing person ang case kasi wala pang 72 hours. Pero ngayon, sobrang lagpas na ng 72 hours. Isang linggo na siyang nawawala (DPS said they couldn’t declare it a missing person case yet because it was still less than 72 hours at the time. But now, it’s been more than 72 hours. He’s been missing for a week)," Arnold Matubis said.
Irene Tantiado, a workers’ right advocate, also asked the Filipino community on Saipan to help in locating or providing any information about Arnold Matubis.
“Any information that you can give will help the family a lot," said Tantiado, from Cebu.
Arnold Matubis said DPS has yet to get back to them as to the status of any investigation about his brother.
He said they got information that the CNMI Division of Immigration has no record of Alex Matubis’ departure from the CNMI.
“So nandito pa siya sa Saipan. Nakita pa namin ang passport niya. Nasa akin na ang passport niya (So he must still be on Saipan. We saw his passport. I have his passport now)," Arnold Matubis said.
The two brothers do not share the same house in Saipan.
Saipan is about three hours away by plane from Manila. It is the capital of the CNMI, a US territory in the Western Pacific where over 18,000 of the documented foreign workers are Filipinos and Chinese. - GMANews.TV
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