A Repost From GMA News.TV

RP staffer in Riyadh still detained without charges

GMANews.TV - Saturday, August 28

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An employee of the Philippine post in Riyadh continues to be detained there for over two months now for his alleged involvement in the death of a woman, but local authorities have yet to file charges against him. Philippine Labor Attaché to Riyadh Alberto Valenciano confirmed in an interview that Bashir Ayob, an employee of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, remains in detention at the Deira jail but has yet to be formally charged. Ayob, 42 from Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat, was arrested on June 12 while attending to the repatriation requirements of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFW). (See: RP welfare officer in Riyadh held on false charges, says wife)

Based on a previous interview with his wife Janet, a Filipina nurse also working in Riyadh, Ayob was arrested allegedly after bringing to the hospital an unidentified pregnant woman, allegedly also an OFW, who eventually died due to severe bleeding. Janet has previously appealed to the Embassy to assist his husband, saying that he was innocent. “He is just a fall guy. He helped many OFWs to be repatriated to the Philippines and now he is being accused of a crime he never did," she said. Embassy yet to receive info Valenciano said Ambassador Antonio Villamor has already sent a note verbale to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting that a meeting between him and the deputy minister of interior be arranged. “We have to follow the diplomatic process. For now, this is the most that we can do," Valenciano told GMANews.TV. According to Valenciano, Villamor has likewise sent another note verbale to follow up on his previous request, but the Embassy has yet to receive a response. Valenciano also admitted they have yet to get hold of confirmed information on the circumstances of Ayob’s arrest, saying they only have a copy of a police report indicating that Ayob’s case is still under investigation. “We have already filed a motion for his release. The Embassy is on top of the situation but we can only do so much based on local laws," he said. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Carmelita Dimzon meanwhile said in a separate interview that according to reports, Ayob was arrested because “he violated the law of Saudi Arabia." “Reportedly he brought a woman to the hospital and the woman died. Under Saudi laws, you should not just leave a dead person in the hospital and instead report it to authorities. He reportedly failed to do that," Dimzon said. ‘Guilty until proven innocent’ Valenciano said the Embassy has already hired a Saudi lawyer to work on Ayob’s case. Unlike in the Philippines, he explained, people in Saudi suspected of committing crimes are “presumed guilty until proven innocent." “Suspects may be detained up to six months, within which charges should already be filed. After that, he may be released if there are still no charges," said Valenciano. A Filipino migrants’ rights group has urged the Embassy to place Ayob under its custody. “More than 2 months now since his detention, the Philippine post didn’t even bother to issue a certification that Ayob is not the person who abandoned the (woman), and arrange to place him under the Embassy’s custody," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator. Monterona added Ayob’s continued detention resulted in an increased number of cases of OFWs in distress that are unattended. “Now there are about 120 distressed OFWs staying at the Bahay Kalinga, unlike before under Ayob’s care when there are only about 40 OFWs there," he said. Embassy employee since 80s Ayob has been working in Saudi Arabia for almost three decades now in various functions in the Embassy, such as interpreter and assistant in the Embassy’s welfare office. His duties involve liaising with other local authorities on behalf of OFWs in distress, and attending to cases of sick OFWs, which includes bringing them to clinics and hospitals. “Technically he is not a welfare officer, but he assists mostly women OFWs who escaped from their employers and are now in the Embassy’s Bahay Kalinga. He was the one working for their exit visas for their repatriation," Valenciano explained. Dimzon likewise said Ayob was hired locally, being already a resident of Riyadh before working for the Embassy, but he remains a Filipino citizen. Ayob started working for the Embassy since 1980 as a contractual employee. Janet joined him in Riyadh in 2003. They have a five-year-old son.—JV, GMANews.TV

Reposted From GMA News.TV

A Repost From Thea Alberto Of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

Palace: Spare our workers in Hong Kong

By Thea Alberto – August 24th, 2010

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By Thea Alberto
Yahoo! Southeast Asia

The Palace is concerned about the situation surrounding Filipino workers in Hong Kong after receiving reports that a Filipina maid had lost her job after Monday’s tragic hostage crisis in Manila.

“May incidental reports na pinapaconfirm pa namin that a Filipina maid was fired by her employers in Hong Kong because of what happened [We're still trying to confirm reports that a Filipino maid was fired by her employers because of what happened],” said Presidential Communications Group Development Secretary Ricky Carandang in a press conference.

“We understand the anger and the dismay of the people of Hong Kong but at the same time also we don’t think that it’s right our ordinary citizens who had nothing to do with this should be paying the price,” said Carandang.

Based on statistics from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, there were at least 100,142 Filipinos working in Hong Kong in 2009.

From 2003, more than half a million Filipinos have found jobs in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is listed as the top working destination for “Household Service Workers” with at least 71,557 new hires in 2009.

Malacanang is also verifying reports of physical threats against Filipinos residing or working in Hong Kong.

Philippine government might also attempt to secure Filipinos there, according to the government spokesperson.

The Hong Kong government earlier raised a “black” travel alert for the Philippines, urging its residents to avoid any travel to the Philippines.

Hong Kong residents were outraged over the slow response of the Philippine authorities in the rescue, in which the police took 12 hours to neutralize the hostage taker Rolando Mendoza.

Some tweets are now demanding apology from the Philippine government.

@xiao_c, for instance, has retweeted this: “@newsinchina Philippine GOV，we chinese need your apologize for 9 HK tourists killed yesterday. If u agree,pls RT.”

Another Twitter user @newsinchina, meanwhile, urged Chinese users to launch a protest on the popular social networking service. “If we Chinese tweeps launch the protest to Philippine via twitter,they will feel the pressure. pls RT! #MANILA,” the user wrote.

Reposted From Thea Alberto Of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

A Repost From Jerrie Abella Of GMA News.TV

Battered OFW’s remains finally home from Milan

GMANews.TV - Friday, August 20

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The remains of a domestic helper beaten to death in the northern Italian city of Milan on August 6 arrived Thursday afternoon, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Emilou Verdad, a 40-year-old domestic helper working in Milan, was killed on August 6 allegedly by a Ukrainian national as she was stepping out of her house, according to Consul General in Milan Antonio Morales.

She was declared on dead on arrival at the hospital after she was allegedly beaten by a certain Oleg Fedchenko, whom Morales described as a “frustrated boxer."

Morales said the suspect, who has a history of violence and psychological problems, allegedly told his mother that he will kill the first woman he sees, and chanced upon Verdad.

Fedchenko is currently detained in a prison facility in Milan. He earlier requested to be transferred to a mental hospital but his motion was denied, according to Morales.

Verdad worked in Milan for 20 years before her death and was an active member of the Filipino community there.

In a statement, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Thursday vowed to help Verdad’s family.

Upon learning of her death, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said she immediately directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to provide the necessary assistance, particularly the repatriation and airport services for Verdad’s remains as she was a regular member of the OWWA at the time of her death.

All repatriation expenses were shouldered by OWWA, Baldoz added according to a release posted on the DOLE website.

The Labor secretary said Verdad’s husband has also been told of the requirements for the claim of death insurance benefits of P200,000 and the burial assistance of P20,000.

Meanwhile, Morales said his office has already asked for financial support from the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs of the DFA for legal expenses.

Verdad left behind a husband and two children, who were with her in Milan.

On August 17, they flew from the Italian city to bring her remains to her hometown in Calauan, Laguna.

Morales said the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, celebrated a Mass in memory of Verdad, which was attended by Filipinos in Milan and local government officials, including Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti.

There is no scheduled hearing yet on the case against the suspect, according to Morales.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV

A Repost From Andreo Calonzo Of GMA News.TV

Pinay in HK jail for alleged 'drug mule' role

GMANews.TV - Sunday, August 15

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A Filipina is currently detained in Hong Kong for allegedly carrying illegal drugs into the Chinese territory last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday. The unidentified Filipina was arrested Wednesday last week at the Hong Kong International Airport for allegedly carrying 276 grams of cocaine and is currently detained at the Tai Lam Center for Women, the DFA said in a news release posted on its website on Saturday.

According to the DFA, the Filipina told representatives from the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong that the illegal drugs she was caught carrying came from a Chinese national now detained at the Parañaque City Jail, who recruited her and promised him payment for the delivery of the cocaine. She likewise said that she was asked to turn over the illegal drugs to a man who would meet her in Hong Kong upon her arrival. The Filipina has already appeared before the Tsuen Wan Magistrates’ Court on August 9, and is scheduled for another hearing on October 28, the DFA said. Under Hong Kong laws, possession of dangerous drugs is punishable with a maximum imprisonment of seven years and a maximum fine of HK$1,000,000. The incident prompted the DFA to reiterate its warning to Filipino travelers who act as drug mules in exchange for money.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos warned these Filipino drug mules of “stiff penalties" for travelers who are caught carrying illegal drugs into other countries. "We warn our countrymen not to accept packages which they suspect are drugs. If they are caught carrying illegal drugs, they will face very dire consequences. We also appeal to our public to be wary of the modus operandi used by drug-trafficking syndicates," he said in the same news release.

Two weeks ago, Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson was also arrested at the Hong Kong International Airport for allegedly possessing 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of Valium. (See: CCTV shows Rep. Singson 'eluding' airport X-ray machine)—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV

Reposted From Andreo Calonzo of GMA News.TV

A Repost From Thea Alberto Of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

New NFA administrator seeks system audit

By Thea Alberto – July 27th, 2010

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By Thea Alberto, Yahoo! Southeast Asia

The National Food Authority seeks a systems and management audit, following President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s revelations of wasteful spending in the agency during the previous administration.

NFA Administrator Lito Banayo said he already sought the help of Department of Justice (DoJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the systems audit.

“I am minded to institute a systems and management audit of my agency to ensure both systems and personnel are functioning properly according to our mandate,” Banayo said, quoting his letter to Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Banayo said the audit would include investigation of previous purchases, protocols in timing and volume of rice importation and inventory of system to prevent waste and spoilage of stocks.

Banayo lamented that NFA has a debt of P177 billion as of June 30 yet the agency has overstock of rice in its warehouses.

“Punong puno po kami ng bigas. Naliligo po kami sa bigas,” Banayo said, adding that the country has sufficient rice supply until December.

Banayo said he also suspects some of rice in stock were purchased back in 2008, which means the stocks are past its shelf life of six months.

The over importation of rice was first revealed by the president in his first State of the Nation Address.

“Ang masakit nito, dahil sobra-sobra ang binibili nila taun-taon, nabubulok lang pala sa mga kamalig ang bigas, kagaya ng nangyari noong 2008. Hindi po ba krimen ito, na hinahayaan nilang mabulok ang bigas, sa kabila ng apat na milyong Pilipinong hindi kumakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw?” Aquino said in his speech.

Reposted From Thea Alberto Of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

A Repost From GMA News.TV

HK excludes domestics from minimum wage law

GMANews.TV - 56 minutes ago

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Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) spokesperson Dolores Balladares told GMANews.TV in a phone interview that Hong Kong’s Legislative Council shot down an amendment to the proposed Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) that would have included foreign domestic workers.

“Slavery, marginalization and discrimination has now been put into law in HK. There is neither justice nor democracy in the Legislative Council’s vote against the inclusion of foreign domestic workers in the statutory minimum wage," she said.

Balladares said what could have been a landmark law in Hong Kong, one of China’s two special administrative regions, was scarred by the exclusion of live-in domestic workers, almost all of whom are foreign workers numbering more than 240,000.

The decision came a day after the Legislative Council resumed debate on the region’s first ever minimum wage law, expected to be passed within the week.

On one side of the debate are labor rights groups pushing for the minimum wage to be pegged at HK$33 (about US$4.25 or P196), while on the other are businesses and other employers who do not want it to go beyond HK$24 (US$3 or P143).

Some half a million workers in Hong Kong, including low-skilled workers from the catering, retail and cleaning industries, earn less than $4 an hour, according to a CNN report.

While the council has yet to decide on the exact amount of minimum wage, for which labor groups have been struggling for over a decade now, it has decisively voted down the proposal to include domestic workers.

According to Balladares, a Filipina who has been working in Hong Kong for 16 years now, the exclusion meant that wages for domestic workers will continue to be determined by the Minimum Allowable Wage policy, which she described as “unjust, not transparent and arbitrary."

“The minimum wage for domestic workers is annually reviewed by the government if it should be frozen, increased or cut. The problem, however, is that the review has never been transparent and we are not informed of its basis," she explained.

Currently, domestic workers receive a monthly salary of HK$3,860 (P22,900), or a little more than half of the cost of living in the highly cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong, which is about $7,000 to $8,000, according to Balladares.

Balladares said migrants’ groups are thus planning to file a judicial review against the exclusion, as well as send petitions to international organizations to expose the “discrimination against and slave-like treatment" of domestic workers.

“This decision should be exposed as an international shame. Slavery and discrimination is alive in Hong Kong and, worse, has become institutionalized," she added.

Records from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show that as of 2009, there are a little over 100,000 Filipino workers in Hong Kong, about a quarter of whom are employed as household service workers.—JV, GMANews.TV

Reposted From GMA News.TV

A Repost From GMA News.TV

Pinoy workers in Qatar stop work in protest vs violations

GMANews.TV - Thursday, July 15

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At least seven Filipino workers in Qatar, all women, have stopped working and are now seeking repatriation, after complaining of labor violations by the company that hired them. The workers stopped working on Monday, after accusing their Qatari employer of contract substitution, according to Danilo Flores, welfare officer of the overseas workers' welfare administration (OWWA) in Qatar.

The workers were supposed to be employed as waitresses based on the contract they signed in the Philippines, Flores told GMANews.TV over the phone. But their company Prestige Hospitality Services Inc. deployed them as instead as stewards, babysitters and janitors.

They were also supposed to receive a salary of $400 (about P18,500), but they received only 750 Qatari riyals (P9,500). This is apart from the food allowance and overtime pay they were also supposed to get but were never given to them.

“We’ve already talked to the employer, but he told us that he can only give as much as 750 riyals or else he’ll lose his business. He said the recruitment agency was aware of that," Flores said. He added that the workers are actually receiving 850 riyals, according to the employer, but a monthly deduction of 100 riyals is taken from their salary to pay for their airfare to Qatar.

Prestige Hospitality supplies manpower to companies and employs at least 80 Filipino workers, Flores said. The employer is willing to provide the workers’ exit visas for their repatriation, but Flores said only two were deployed by a recruitment agency, Jovineria International Manpower Services, which is supposed to shoulder their airfare. Majority of the company’s Filipino employees are irregular workers, or those who came to Qatar only with a tourist visa and secured their jobs through agents. A Filipino worker based in Qatar sent an e-mail to GMANews.TV detailing the workers’ plight, saying some of them were sexually harassed and one was even raped by the employer. Flores, however, said they have already talked to the alleged rape victim, who denied the report. “So far, none of the workers complained they were sexually harassed," he added. The two workers deployed by a recruitment agency already have tickets but are yet to be scheduled for their flight back to the Philippines. The irregular workers, however, will have to await the release of funds for airfare, which the Philippine Embassy in Qatar has already requested from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“The employer was unable to promise that he’ll be able to give the salary that the workers are supposed to receive, but there will be another discussion between him and our labor attaché," Flores explained. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has suspended processing deployment papers from Jovineria, as well as the employment of Filipino workers by Prestige Hospitality. Based on records from the POEA, Qatar ranks fourth among the top destinations of overseas Filipino workers, with 89,290 Filipino workers as of 2009.—JV, GMANews.TV

Reposted From GMA News.TV