NBI to question 10 firms on distressed OFWs

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) subpoenaed 10 placement agencies to shed light on the distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and some of their family members who lived under the Kandara Bridge in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Some of these Filipinos are children of these OFWs and family members who overstayed in Saudi Arabia.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring sent an NBI team to Jeddah on orders made by President Arroyo to investigate the distressed Filipinos who lived under the bridge.

Lawyer Allan Contado, NBI spokesperson and chief of NBI Anti-Graft Division (AGD), said 10 placement agencies were subpoenaed to appear before NBI investigators to shed light into the reports that the distressed Filipinos were forced to run away from their employers because of contract violations.

Contado refused to identify these placement agencies.

Among those who went to Jeddah to conduct an investigation during the last week of September were Lawyers Reynaldo Remo and Darwin Lising, both of NBI Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTRAD).

The investigators stayed in Saudi Arabia for almost a week to conduct an investigation.

Contado said Remo and Lising took statements from these OFWs and family members.

Majority of these OFWs have already returned home to the country while the remaining Filipinos are no longer staying at the bridge after their transfer to the deportation center while waiting for their papers so they could return to the Philippines.

Contado also said that all the distressed Filipinos left for Saudi Arabia documented.

“They are all documented. They left for Saudi Arabia either with working visas or visitors’ visas. Some of them are overstaying. Some ran away from their sponsors (employers) because of contract violations. This was the reason why we subpoenaed the 10 placement agencies,” he said.

Contado said they are still conducting an investigation before coming out with a final report.

Some of these distressed Filipinos remain hesitant to file a formal complaint against their sponsors or agencies.

The NBI said these distressed Filipinos only wanted to return home here in the Philippines.

The NBI official said some of these Filipinos are children of the OFWs who were born there.  A lot of these Filipinos were overstaying in Saudi Arabia.

Some of these are Filipinos who, with only visitors’ visas, went to Saudi to visit Mecca as pilgrims.

Mrs. Arroyo directed NBI to send a team to conduct investigation after learning that many distressed Filipinos are living under the bridge.

More than a hundred Filipinos have been repatriated by Saudi Arabia deportation authorities to the Philippines.

The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah said another group of Filipinos will be repatriated to Manila in the next few days.

It was further said that the Consulate General continues to monitor the immediate processing of their papers. OFWs who cannot find work and have no money go back to the Philippines opted to be arrested by Saudi police to be able to be repatriated home, according to a report.   – Sandy Araneta