Case vs OFWs arrested in mixed gathering dropped

The charges against 18 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) arrested for participating in a "mixed gathering" have been dropped by the Saudi police, an advocacy group said Monday.

The 18 OFWs, including runaways and officials of the group Migrante-Riyadh, were arrested last August 14 at an apartment at the Badea district in the Saudi Arabian capital city for mixing unrelated men and women in the same room. [See: 18 OFWs held in Riyadh over 'mixed gathering']

Under Saudi Arabia’s laws, men and women who are not married or related are not allowed to come together in private or public gatherings. If caught, they are charged with immorality or prostitution.

But Eric Jocson, chairperson of Migrante-Riyadh, has told Migrante Middle East that the Saudi police dropped the charges after case officers of the Philippine Embassy convinced them that there was no "prostitution" as those apprehended were members of a legitimate migrant organization providing assistance to OFWs.

John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East coordinator, said the gathering was part of their rights and welfare assistance program wherein they give advice and assistance to distressed Filipino workers before endorsing their cases to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh.

Vice Consul Roussel Reyes confirmed the dropping of the charges and said that it was the intervention of the case officers that allowed it to happen.

"We commend embassy’s case officers Mr. Frias, Akrahman, and Harris under the direct guidance of Vice Consul Roussel Reyes for their timely intervention that lead to the dropping of the case against our members. We will not hesitate to laud the good job done by embassy’s case officers and officials for that matter so long as they will provide same assistance to all distress and run away OFWs not only to KGS and Migrante members," said Monterona.

But the Migrante regional coordinator said that they are still awaiting the release of their fellow migrant advocates Mike Garlan and Rustico Marcos. Other Migrante officials were earlier bailed out by their employers.

Reyes reportedly told Monterona that after the police receives the notice from the prosecutor, those with Iqama (working permit) will be released immediately while runaways and those who have expired Iqamas will be deported.

Monterona said detained Filipina workers Sarah Gumansing and Elvira De Guzman have already been released and are currently in the custody of their employers while distressed OFWs Clemia Corpuz, Rosa Salazar, Reynaldo Balagtas, and Amauri Meriz will soon be deported.

The migrant leader said they estimate that there are about 26,000 undocumented and runaway OFWs in the Middle East, mostly in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon. - GMANews.TV

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POPCOM, gagamit ng ‘digital platforms’ para pagtibayin ang mga ugnayang pampamilya

Mas pinalalawig ng Komisyon sa Populasyon at Pagpapaunlad (POPCOM) ang adhikain nitong pagpapalaganap at pagpapabuti ng pakikipag-ugnayan ng mga nakakatandang Pilipino sa kanilang mga anak na nagdadalaga at nagbibinata. Nitong Setyembre 21, ang POPCOM ay nagsagawa ng isang “parent-teen talk webinar” gamit ang Zoom, kung saan ang isang “interactive program” ang nagbigay ng naaayon na kaalaman at kasanayan sa mga magulang, habang tumulong ito sa mga anak na teenager na maabot ang kanilang buong potensyal. Hinikayat din nito ang mga nanay at tatay na sumali sa malayang usapan, lalo na sa mga usapin ukol sa sex at sekswalidad, na nakikitang makakatulong upang bumaba ang mga bilang ng mga pagbubuntis sa hanay ng mga kabataan. Maaaring mapanood ang webinar sa https://youtu.be/lZ9jrJCjYas. Ayon kay Ikalawang Kalihim (Undersecretary) Juan Antonio A. Perez III, MD, MPH, “ang webinar ay naging isang tagapag-simula at ‘padaluyan’ ng pag-uu
Read more

UP Diliman Professors Share Scientists’ Procurement Struggles at Senate Hearing

By Harvey Sapigao Senate hearing of the revised procurement law (Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines) College of Science (CS) Dean Giovanni Tapang held up a little white device as he finished his presentation. “This is a ₱150,000 component,” he described. “Isa lang gumagawa nito sa buong mundo, pero ang hirap pilitin sila na magregister sa PhilGEPS,” he continued, referring to the requirement that foreign companies must first register to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) before they can sell products to local scientists. Marine Science Institute (MSI) Deputy Director Dr. Irene Rodriguez explained that the small device is a resin that filters metals in water. “May budget tayo,” she said, “pero ang problema ko ay ‘yung resin na ito.” This and other bottlenecks brought about by the procurement law, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), slow down research and development in the country. UPD leaders were invited to the Senate he
Read more

Biden said set to make push for demilitarized Palestinian state as part of new doctrine ---By LAZAR BERMAN

New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, who’s close to the US administration, says emerging doctrine would include Saudi-Israeli normalization, 2-state solution, and campaign against Iran US President Joe Biden’s administration is homing in on a new doctrine involving an unprecedented push to immediately advance the creation of a demilitarized but viable Palestinian state, The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman reported on Thursday. The plan, Friedman wrote, “would involve some form of US recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that would come into being only once Palestinians had developed a set of defined, credible institutions and security capabilities to ensure that this state was viable and that it could never threaten Israel.” White House officials “have been consulting experts inside and outside the US government about different forms this recognition of Palestinian statehood might take,” revealed Friedman. What he termed the new “Biden Doctrin
Read more