MANILA – The migrant rights group Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) has urged Philippine leader Benigno Aquino to visit Saudi Arabia and personally look at the miserable situation of many stranded and distressed Filipinos there.
“We want him visit Saudi Arabia so that he could witness to the miserable situation of hundreds of stranded and distress overseas Filipino workers who are begging for government assistance,” M-ME regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Migrante earlier launched an online petition to solicit support and signatures to force the Philippine government to immediately repatriate of at least 130 stranded OFWs now temporarily sheltered at the embassy-rented villa in Riyadh.
(The online petition link can be viewed here https://www.change.org/p/philippine-president-benigno-simeon-aquino-iii-dole-sec-philippine-president-benigno-simeon-aquino-iii-dole-sec-rosalinda-baldoz-dfa-sec-a-del-rosario-effect-the-swift-and-free-mass-repatriation-of-stranded-ofws-in-saudi-arabia)
Monterona said stranded OFWs at Riyadh deportation center have appealed to Migrante to help them and get the attention of the Philippine government so they can go back home soon.
Josephine Mores, one of the stranded OFWs, also wrote on her Facebook account: “Send us home, our families need us.” And “Jawazzat in KSA Saudi deportation nila kong tawagin at dito ka din mag-aantay para makakuha ng exit visa kaso halos pinaparami nila kami dito at pinapatagal, ganyan po kalagayan at karami.”
“Yung iba may sakit na at matatanda na din po. Hiling lang naman po naming lahat ay makauwi kami ng Pilipinas. Sana mapuntahan kami ng ambassador ng Pilipinas dito ng maasikaso kami,” she added.
Monterona said there are nearly 200 women OFWs staying at the Bahay Kalinga aside from 200 more at the deportation center.
“It is too early to rumble for electoral campaign or positioning for elective post, huwag na muna at heto ang dapat pagtuunan nila ng pansin. Ang daming stranded at maltreated OFWs na nangangailangan ng tulong.”
“Meron pang natitirang isang taon sa termino ni Aquino at mainam kung siya mismo ang makakapunta sa Saudi Arabia para makita niya ang kalagayan ng mga stranded at distressed OFWs, asikasuhin ang pagpapa-uwi ng mga stranded OFWs,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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