Sanctions sought vs. DFA execs for OFW's ordeal
MANILA, Philippines - A migrant rights advocate on Friday urged concerned offices to investigate the jailing of Filipino worker Pedro “Jamil" Mabanto, who was falsely accused of killing a colleague in Saudi Arabia.
Joseph Espiritu of the OFW-SOS group and Patnubay.com, a site for overseas workers, said the inquiry should pinpoint who among the personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila were responsible so that they could be sanctioned.
Mabanto suffered more than three years in jail because certain Embassy and DFA functionaries failed to present to the Saudi court medical certificates showing that the Filipino worker Mabanto was accused of killing actually died of a heart attack, Espiritu said.
“As an OFW, I would like to demand the ouster of the Embassy officials, Oumwa officials who handled this case for being irresponsible, insensitive and for being corrupt," he said in an e-mail to Vice President Noli de Castro, Sen. Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada as chairman of the Senate labor committee, and to the DFA.
Records of the case obtained by GMANews.TV showed that Mabanto, an employee of Saudi Catering and Contracting Co., was thrown in jail in Riyadh for the death of compatriot and co-worker Benjamin Cruz on June 7, 2005.
Just recently, the Saudi court hearing the case took note of medical findings that Cruz was not a victim of a physical attack and ruled that Mabanto should be freed.
According to Espiritu and other migrant workers’ advocate following the case, Mabanto would not have lost his job and suffered in jail time had the officials who handled his case been “responsible" enough to give the OFW or his family with a copy of the disputed medical report.
“He could have spent the lost time with his family. His family would not have suffered," Espiritu said.
Espiritu named Attaché Reynaldo Banda as the officer who failed to submit the medical report of Cruz to the Saudi court on time.
Espiritu said other Embassy and officials of the DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (Oumwa) should also be held liable for allegedly giving the family of Mabanto the run-around when they tried to secure a copy of the medical certificates.
Court records showed that Mabanto and Cruz had a heated argument on that day inside their room at the Aramco Compound in Saad Al Wasiyah when Cruz began to have difficulty breathing.
Alarmed, Mabanto rushed out to seek help from co-workers at the nearby clinic. An ambulance immediately took Cruz to a hospital but he was declared dead on arrival. Doctors later certified that Cruz died of a heart attack.
“This medical report was submitted to the lawyer one year and 3 months after Cruz’s death," Espiritu asserted.
Denial
In an earlier interview with GMANews.TV, Oumwa executive director Crescente Relacion vehemently denied the negligence charge, saying his office extended all the necessary assistance to Mabanto.
Relacion said the DFA even hired a Saudi lawyer to ensure that Mabanto’s case was handled well.
“We provided him with a lawyer who was paid for using the legal assistance fund. Tinututukan ‘yan ng lawyer niya (His lawyer had focused on the case)," he said.
’Excuses’
Espiritu asserted that in many instances, Philippine officials have refused to give Mabanto’s family a copy of the medical report that would have lowered the OFW’s jail time earlier.
“Mabanto’s brother asked for a copy of this medical report. I asked the ambassador to give Mabanto’s brother a copy of this medical report. Mabanto also asked the ambassador for a copy of this medical report. Jasmin Mabanto and CMA (Center for Migrants Advocacy) asked a copy for this medical report from OUMWA. (CMA executive director) Ellene Sana asked Director Relacion a copy of this medial report," Espiritu said.
“Their answer was "NO" and many invalid excuses," he added.
“I cannot think of any reason except of covering their mistakes," he said. - GMANews.TV
Joseph Espiritu of the OFW-SOS group and Patnubay.com, a site for overseas workers, said the inquiry should pinpoint who among the personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila were responsible so that they could be sanctioned.
Mabanto suffered more than three years in jail because certain Embassy and DFA functionaries failed to present to the Saudi court medical certificates showing that the Filipino worker Mabanto was accused of killing actually died of a heart attack, Espiritu said.
“As an OFW, I would like to demand the ouster of the Embassy officials, Oumwa officials who handled this case for being irresponsible, insensitive and for being corrupt," he said in an e-mail to Vice President Noli de Castro, Sen. Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada as chairman of the Senate labor committee, and to the DFA.
Records of the case obtained by GMANews.TV showed that Mabanto, an employee of Saudi Catering and Contracting Co., was thrown in jail in Riyadh for the death of compatriot and co-worker Benjamin Cruz on June 7, 2005.
Just recently, the Saudi court hearing the case took note of medical findings that Cruz was not a victim of a physical attack and ruled that Mabanto should be freed.
According to Espiritu and other migrant workers’ advocate following the case, Mabanto would not have lost his job and suffered in jail time had the officials who handled his case been “responsible" enough to give the OFW or his family with a copy of the disputed medical report.
“He could have spent the lost time with his family. His family would not have suffered," Espiritu said.
Espiritu named Attaché Reynaldo Banda as the officer who failed to submit the medical report of Cruz to the Saudi court on time.
Espiritu said other Embassy and officials of the DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (Oumwa) should also be held liable for allegedly giving the family of Mabanto the run-around when they tried to secure a copy of the medical certificates.
Court records showed that Mabanto and Cruz had a heated argument on that day inside their room at the Aramco Compound in Saad Al Wasiyah when Cruz began to have difficulty breathing.
Alarmed, Mabanto rushed out to seek help from co-workers at the nearby clinic. An ambulance immediately took Cruz to a hospital but he was declared dead on arrival. Doctors later certified that Cruz died of a heart attack.
“This medical report was submitted to the lawyer one year and 3 months after Cruz’s death," Espiritu asserted.
Denial
In an earlier interview with GMANews.TV, Oumwa executive director Crescente Relacion vehemently denied the negligence charge, saying his office extended all the necessary assistance to Mabanto.
Relacion said the DFA even hired a Saudi lawyer to ensure that Mabanto’s case was handled well.
“We provided him with a lawyer who was paid for using the legal assistance fund. Tinututukan ‘yan ng lawyer niya (His lawyer had focused on the case)," he said.
’Excuses’
Espiritu asserted that in many instances, Philippine officials have refused to give Mabanto’s family a copy of the medical report that would have lowered the OFW’s jail time earlier.
“Mabanto’s brother asked for a copy of this medical report. I asked the ambassador to give Mabanto’s brother a copy of this medical report. Mabanto also asked the ambassador for a copy of this medical report. Jasmin Mabanto and CMA (Center for Migrants Advocacy) asked a copy for this medical report from OUMWA. (CMA executive director) Ellene Sana asked Director Relacion a copy of this medial report," Espiritu said.
“Their answer was "NO" and many invalid excuses," he added.
“I cannot think of any reason except of covering their mistakes," he said. - GMANews.TV
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