OFW in Saudi not kidnapped but under police custody – VP Binay

Billy Joseph Enriquez, the Filipino waiter in Saudi Arabia who has been missing since last week, is in police custody and not kidnapped as earlier reported, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Wednesday.

In a statement, Binay, the presidential adviser on OFW concerns, said he got the information from Philippine embassy officials in Riyadh.

“I was told by Vice Consul Redentor Genotiva that Mr. Billy Joseph Enriquez was taken by the police and that his case is still under investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office,” Binay said.

He said embassy officials had already met with Enriquez. It was not however clear why Enriquez was taken by the police.

Binay, who met with Enriquez's parents in the Philippines, said government assistance will continue to be provided to Enriquez.

An investigation is currently underway to assess Enriquez's current situation, he said.

Enriquez was reported missing last week after his co-workers at the Noria Restaurant in Al-Khobar told his parents of his alleged abduction. This prompted his parents to seek assistance from the OPLE Center and the Office of the Vice President.

Enriquez, 22, is about to return home in June when his two-year contract expires.—Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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