OFWs jailed for condom, porn video

MANILA -- Two male overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were detained by authorities in Riyadh after they were allegedly found in possession of a condom and pornographic video on cellphone.

According to Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) Regional Coordinator John Leonard Monterona, the items were allegedly found in the possession of the OFWs after they were subjected to a surprise or arbitrary search and seizure by Saudi Arabia’s cultural police, known as Muttawa.

“This case depicts a clear violation of migrant’s right to privacy and to secure himself as guaranteed in the UN Convention on the Protection of Migrants and Members of their Families and of the International Human Rights Law (IHL),” he said in a statement.

Quoting a kin of one of the two Filipino workers, Monterona said authorities raided the OFWs’ house located adjacent to Riyadh’s commercial district on August 31, 2012 and arbitrarily searched all their belongings.

“OFWs ‘Geron’ and ‘Roy’ (not their real names), who were able to speak over the phone to their kin, said they both were shocked and furious that their accommodation was raided and on that same day were sent to Al-hair jail in Riyadh allegedly in possession of a condom and pornographic video stored in a cell phone,” Monterona said.

The OFWs were charged with prostitution, a crime punishable of six months to one year plus a hundred of lashes, if proven guilty.

“We appeal to the concerned authorities to respect our rights as migrant workers and human beings as we vow to strictly follow the immigration rules and respect the social norms and tradition of the host government,” he added.

Monterona said they have already informed the Philippine Embassy’s Assistance to the Nationals section and were assured to help the OFWs.

Meanwhile, a total of 20 distressed OFWs from Dubai, United Arab Emirates are set to come home on Monday after Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada shouldered their airfare.

Estrada said on Saturday that the 20 household workers ran away from their employers after they were subjected to overwork, physical and verbal abuse, and other forms of maltreatment.

They are: Mary Chell Afable, Lariza Arceo, Janet Bentero, Jonnalyn Belmosao, Rowena Carao, Anabel Cortez, Maida Esmael, Sittie Mariam Gudal, Cherry Lyn Larosa, Mary Joy Mangad, Nerissa Molleda, Jelleny Morabe, Maria Malaya Padilla, Diana Lou Publico, Maria Leni Regino, Noraida Sambutuan, Bariya Lipai Sawaldi, Michelle Torio, Angelina Uyammi, and Clarence Viscarra.

All of them are expected to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 4 p.m. via Emirates airlines.

Estrada learned of the cases of distressed migrant workers awaiting repatriation in Dubai from Ambassador Grace Princesa, as he made a stopover to the Philippine Consulate-General in UAE, before heading to Vatican City to attend the canonization rites of the second Filipino saint, San Pedro Calungsod.

“As per Labor Attache Delmer Cruz, an estimated 1,000 Filipino migrant workers abscond from their visa sponsors (also employers) every year. And almost every day there is a new case of maltreatment, especially of our household service workers,” Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, said.

Ninety percent of the complaints received by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) come from domestic workers whose complaints include overwork, physical abuse, lack of food and rest, and unpaid salary.

The Polo provides temporary shelters for the runaway OFWs while the embassy and labor officials arrange their travel documents going back to the Philippines.

Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show that UAE ranks second to Saudi Arabia in terms of number of land-based new hires and rehires. In 2010, there were 201,214 land-based workers deployed to UAE.

UAE, which ranks third next to Hong Kong and Kuwait in terms of number of deployed household service workers, is host to 13,184 Filipino household service workers. (FP/PNA/Sunnex)