3 Pinoy workers recount agony in Dubai

RONALYN V. OLEA, Migrant Watch

MANILA, Philippines - Renato Garcia, Justino Van Estulle and Ace Ferrer were among the 10 Filipinos who were recruited by the Princess House Party Organizer. They left the Philippines on a two-month visit visa validity from November 2006 until May 2007. The recruitment agency assured them that their working visas will be processed upon arrival in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

They were deployed to different hotels. The agency told them they will work for 10 hours a day with a salary of 750 (Dirhams) Dhs or P8,250 and another 5 Dhs or P55 for overtime pay per hour.

Upon arrival in Dubai, however, a representative of the Princess House Party Organizer confiscated their passports and visas and were made to sign a contract written in Arabic without the benefit of translation.

Their working visas were not processed. They were made to exit Dubai from time to time and go to Qeshm Island in Iran so that their visa could be extended whenever they returned to Dubai.

Maltreatment

In a press conference, July 12, Estulle said that he, Garcia and Ferrer went to the Ministry of Labor to complain about the abuses they were experiencing in the hands of their employer.

Garcia said in Filipino, “We were forced to work for 30 straight hours. For 15 days, we were allowed to eat just once a day. We were given only 15 minutes to eat."

Ferrer said that on March 29, their employer told him that they could go home but he was surprised when immigration authorities arrested the three of them. “We just found out that we were being charged when we arrived at the police station."

Falsely accused and neglected

The three OFWs were arrested for allegedly vandalizing a copy of the Quoran.

Garcia said in Filipino, “We were detained for a crime we did not commit."

Garcia related that they could hardly eat the food being served in prison. He said the prisoners came from different nationalities; there were about 16. “Some prisoners were suffering from diseases like hepatitis and skin diseases. We don’t know if we were infected."

The results of the forensic laboratory tests proved that the alleged handwritings, which defaced a copy of the Quoran, were not theirs. On May 15, the court issued a release order for the three of them.

“Because of neglect by the Philippine consulate, we stayed there for another one and a half months," Garcia said.

Garcia related that only the Filipino driver at the consulate office regularly visited them.

Culpability

Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International, deplored the culpability of the Arroyo government.

She said that when the three sought the help of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA), they were told that they are not covered by the services of OWWA because of their immigration status.

Regalado said in Filipino, “The embassies are there to provide protection to all OFWs in distress."

The group said they are pushing for Congressional inquiries on the conduct of embassy and consul officials in responding to the plight of OFWs. - Bulatlat

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