Group seeks help for 2 Pinoys' legal fight in KSA

MANILA, Philippines — An advocacy group on Wednesday sought support for its campaign to raise funds for the legal battle of two overseas Filipino workers who are facing criminal charges in Saudi Arabia for crimes they allegedly have not done. At the same time, Migrante – KSA called on all overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to strictly avoid running afoul with the host country’s laws because legal assistance from the government will not be forthcoming. “With the government not being able to provide assistance, the best solution is definitely ‘prevention,’ by being vigilant, keenly observant of our surroundings, and patient," Ociones said. “Kung sa commercial ng vitamins, ‘bawal magkasakit!’ Sa OFWs, bawal magkaroon ng kaso, dahil hindi ka tutulungan ng gobyerno!" Migrante said members of the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia have launched the campaign for clerk Ryan Torres and driver Eddie C. Javier after the Philippine consulate general in Jeddah supposedly turned down requests to provide a lawyer for them. The group said Consul General Ezzedin Tago had said the consulate general does not have the mandate to hire a lawyer because only the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (Oumwa) of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila can do so. “The independent initiatives to raise funds in support of OFWs charged with criminal offense, once again shows the discontent of OFWs for the inability of the government to provide assistance to compatriots in distress," A. M. Ociones, chairperson of Migrante KSA said. Migrante said Filipino workers facing cases in Saudi Arabia are always at high risk of getting convicted because they are often accompanied in court only by a translator provided by the consulate. Translators are almost useless in Saudi Arabia because they are not allowed to argue in court. Ociones said the government should “do away with the bureaucratic red tape and finger-pointing and exert all efforts to provide assistance to OFWs in distress." A fund drive was recently initiated to raise 20,000 Saudi riyals to pay for the services of a Saudi lawyer to represent Torres, an OFW currently facing charges for distributing alleged fake Saudi Riyal bills, a criminal offense here with a penalty of 10-15 years imprisonment. At the same time, Migrante KSA is helping to raise SAR 97,000 for the damages lodged by the family of an elderly Saudi who died after the vehicle driven by the Saudi smashed on the truck operated by an OFW named Eddie C. Javier, driver at the general contractor: Shibh Al Jazeera and Ali Fairs Ahmad Al Hassaner. Javier reportedly parked the company vehicle he was driving on the shoulder of the highway that they are building in Al Saba in the mountain region of Assir sometime in June 2008 when a speeding car driven by an elderly Saudi rammed into the truck vehicle. The elderly Saudi died in the accident and Javier was arrested on June 29, 2008. In the succeeding court proceedings, Javier was penalized for supposedly killing the Saudi and a fine of SAR 97,000 was imposed as damages. Javier’s employer reportedly does not want anything to do with him now (thus, he should be declared abandoned). Javier, whose contract was consummated last year, has been in jail for more than six months now. The only remaining option to free Javier, according to co-workers interviewed by Migrante KSA, is the payment of the damages. Meanwhile, Migrante KSA calls on fellow Filipinos to be “extra vigilant in dealing with everyday life in a foreign country." The case of Ryan and Javier, according to Ociones “teaches us to vigilantly guard against any activities that would put us in distress situations." “It is most tragic to let our families suffer by simply becoming a victim of circumstances," Ociones said. - GMANews.TV