RP post in Riyadh denies neglect in repatriation of pardoned OFWs
JERRIE ABELLA, GMANews.TV
03/24/2010 | 04:47 PM
More Share3 The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has denied it had "overlooked" the repatriation schedule of 11 pardoned overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Kingdom, which resulted in the workers missing their flight.
In a statement posted on the Embassy’s Web site Tuesday, it said the workers are in the custody of Saudi jail personnel, who in turn have the sole authority to make arrangements for the OFWs’ repatriation.
"From their detention cells, the (OFWs) are directly brought to the tarmac and board the plane without going through the normal immigration procedure; they are not subjected to the departure protocols at the airport. It has to be emphasized that only Saudi authorities can bring the detainees to the airport and this Embassy does not have any authority to do so," the Embassy stated.
The 11 pardoned Filipinos were originally scheduled for repatriation to Manila on March 15, but missed their midnight flight as their group, escorted by Saudi police authorities, arrived just a minute too late at the airport.
The Embassy also said only Saudi Arabian authorities have control over the re-booking of the OFWs’ flight.
The Embassy was reacting to statements in the previous report by migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East, which said that while the Embassy admitted it has overlooked the OFWs’ repatriation schedule, it promised to speed up the efforts to rebook the workers’ flight.
"While the Embassy closely monitors and makes strong representations for the release of Filipino detainees who have served their sentences or have been pardoned and in certain cases, assists in submitting the tickets of the detainees, the confirmation of these flights is also done by the jail authorities," it wrote.
An earlier statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, however, said the Embassy was arranging the rebooking for the workers’ repatriation at the next available flight.
The DFA added that the Embassy had earlier notified and coordinated with the DFA about original repatriation schedule of the OFWs.
As this developed, the DFA said at least 200 Filipinos imprisoned for petty offenses in Saudi Arabia have been pardoned and repatriated to the Philippines since December last year.
Half of the 200 pardoned are female, and half are males, according to the DFA.
The department said its embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah made vigorous representations for clemency for the Filipinos.
"The DFA remains focused on looking after the welfare of our OFWs, and will continue to do so," DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said.
The pardoned Filipinos previously in jail have been repatriated under a royal pardon issued by the Saudi King on December 11 for petty crime offenders. — RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV
The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has denied it had "overlooked" the repatriation schedule of 11 pardoned overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Kingdom, which resulted in the workers missing their flight.
In a statement posted on the Embassy’s Web site Tuesday, it said the workers are in the custody of Saudi jail personnel, who in turn have the sole authority to make arrangements for the OFWs’ repatriation.
"From their detention cells, the (OFWs) are directly brought to the tarmac and board the plane without going through the normal immigration procedure; they are not subjected to the departure protocols at the airport. It has to be emphasized that only Saudi authorities can bring the detainees to the airport and this Embassy does not have any authority to do so," the Embassy stated.
The 11 pardoned Filipinos were originally scheduled for repatriation to Manila on March 15, but missed their midnight flight as their group, escorted by Saudi police authorities, arrived just a minute too late at the airport. [See: 11 pardoned OFWs miss flight back to Manila]
The Embassy also said only Saudi Arabian authorities have control over the re-booking of the OFWs’ flight.
The Embassy was reacting to statements in the previous report by migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East, which said that while the Embassy admitted it has overlooked the OFWs’ repatriation schedule, it promised to speed up the efforts to rebook the workers’ flight.
"While the Embassy closely monitors and makes strong representations for the release of Filipino detainees who have served their sentences or have been pardoned and in certain cases, assists in submitting the tickets of the detainees, the confirmation of these flights is also done by the jail authorities," it wrote.
An earlier statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, however, said the Embassy was arranging the rebooking for the workers’ repatriation at the next available flight.
The DFA added that the Embassy had earlier notified and coordinated with the DFA about original repatriation schedule of the OFWs.
As this developed, the DFA said at least 200 Filipinos imprisoned for petty offenses in Saudi Arabia have been pardoned and repatriated to the Philippines since December last year.
Half of the 200 pardoned are female, and half are males, according to the DFA.
The department said its embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah made vigorous representations for clemency for the Filipinos.
"The DFA remains focused on looking after the welfare of our OFWs, and will continue to do so," DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said.
The pardoned Filipinos previously in jail have been repatriated under a royal pardon issued by the Saudi King on December 11 for petty crime offenders. — RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV
JERRIE ABELLA, GMANews.TV
03/24/2010 | 04:47 PM
More Share3 The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has denied it had "overlooked" the repatriation schedule of 11 pardoned overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Kingdom, which resulted in the workers missing their flight.
In a statement posted on the Embassy’s Web site Tuesday, it said the workers are in the custody of Saudi jail personnel, who in turn have the sole authority to make arrangements for the OFWs’ repatriation.
"From their detention cells, the (OFWs) are directly brought to the tarmac and board the plane without going through the normal immigration procedure; they are not subjected to the departure protocols at the airport. It has to be emphasized that only Saudi authorities can bring the detainees to the airport and this Embassy does not have any authority to do so," the Embassy stated.
The 11 pardoned Filipinos were originally scheduled for repatriation to Manila on March 15, but missed their midnight flight as their group, escorted by Saudi police authorities, arrived just a minute too late at the airport.
The Embassy also said only Saudi Arabian authorities have control over the re-booking of the OFWs’ flight.
The Embassy was reacting to statements in the previous report by migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East, which said that while the Embassy admitted it has overlooked the OFWs’ repatriation schedule, it promised to speed up the efforts to rebook the workers’ flight.
"While the Embassy closely monitors and makes strong representations for the release of Filipino detainees who have served their sentences or have been pardoned and in certain cases, assists in submitting the tickets of the detainees, the confirmation of these flights is also done by the jail authorities," it wrote.
An earlier statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, however, said the Embassy was arranging the rebooking for the workers’ repatriation at the next available flight.
The DFA added that the Embassy had earlier notified and coordinated with the DFA about original repatriation schedule of the OFWs.
As this developed, the DFA said at least 200 Filipinos imprisoned for petty offenses in Saudi Arabia have been pardoned and repatriated to the Philippines since December last year.
Half of the 200 pardoned are female, and half are males, according to the DFA.
The department said its embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah made vigorous representations for clemency for the Filipinos.
"The DFA remains focused on looking after the welfare of our OFWs, and will continue to do so," DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said.
The pardoned Filipinos previously in jail have been repatriated under a royal pardon issued by the Saudi King on December 11 for petty crime offenders. — RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV
The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has denied it had "overlooked" the repatriation schedule of 11 pardoned overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Kingdom, which resulted in the workers missing their flight.
In a statement posted on the Embassy’s Web site Tuesday, it said the workers are in the custody of Saudi jail personnel, who in turn have the sole authority to make arrangements for the OFWs’ repatriation.
"From their detention cells, the (OFWs) are directly brought to the tarmac and board the plane without going through the normal immigration procedure; they are not subjected to the departure protocols at the airport. It has to be emphasized that only Saudi authorities can bring the detainees to the airport and this Embassy does not have any authority to do so," the Embassy stated.
The 11 pardoned Filipinos were originally scheduled for repatriation to Manila on March 15, but missed their midnight flight as their group, escorted by Saudi police authorities, arrived just a minute too late at the airport. [See: 11 pardoned OFWs miss flight back to Manila]
The Embassy also said only Saudi Arabian authorities have control over the re-booking of the OFWs’ flight.
The Embassy was reacting to statements in the previous report by migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East, which said that while the Embassy admitted it has overlooked the OFWs’ repatriation schedule, it promised to speed up the efforts to rebook the workers’ flight.
"While the Embassy closely monitors and makes strong representations for the release of Filipino detainees who have served their sentences or have been pardoned and in certain cases, assists in submitting the tickets of the detainees, the confirmation of these flights is also done by the jail authorities," it wrote.
An earlier statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, however, said the Embassy was arranging the rebooking for the workers’ repatriation at the next available flight.
The DFA added that the Embassy had earlier notified and coordinated with the DFA about original repatriation schedule of the OFWs.
As this developed, the DFA said at least 200 Filipinos imprisoned for petty offenses in Saudi Arabia have been pardoned and repatriated to the Philippines since December last year.
Half of the 200 pardoned are female, and half are males, according to the DFA.
The department said its embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah made vigorous representations for clemency for the Filipinos.
"The DFA remains focused on looking after the welfare of our OFWs, and will continue to do so," DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said.
The pardoned Filipinos previously in jail have been repatriated under a royal pardon issued by the Saudi King on December 11 for petty crime offenders. — RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV
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