Friday, November 07, 2008 Detained Cebuano OFWs seek NBI’s help on case
TWENTY—three of the 24 Cebuano overseas workers detained at a maximum security prison in Trinidad and Tobago on suspicion they possessed fake working papers are seeking NBI assistance in running after the agency that sent them there.
Regional Director Medardo de Lemos confirmed this in an interview yesterday. He said the workers went to the National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas headquarters Wednesday accompanied by a Mandaue City official.
“They were also endorsed to us by the Department of Foreign Affairs,” said de Lemos.
De Lemos refused to reveal details of the complaint, saying they have yet to hear from the agency.
Documents
“We are now gathering the pertinent documents that will assist us in the investigation and find out what really happened and what contributed to it,” he said.
The management of the recruitment agency has already expressed its willingness to face a formal probe.
Josefina Casianan, manager of Be Glad Worldwide Placement Agency (BGWPA), said they have documents prepared to show their innocence.
Casianan said the workers would not have been deported had they stayed with Multitask Co. Ltd., which paid about $1,000 for the processing of their papers.
Contract
Under their contract with BGWPA, the 23 were to work in Multitask in Tobago Island in the Caribbean country.
But the 23 broke away from Multitask allegedly due to maltreatment, and sailed to Trinidad Island for a new employer, Envirotech Construction.
Robert Gubalani, one of the workers, alleged that it was Multitask managing director Anderson McPhee who alerted Trinidad immigration officers that they were sailing there with fraudulent papers from Envirotech.
The agency’s lawyer, Antonio Cabreros, on the other hand, cast suspicion on the workers’ new employer.
Cabreros added that if anyone is responsible for the fraudulent papers that led to the workers’ imprisonment last Sept. 19, it is their new employer.
A month
De Lemos would not comment on the statements, adding that unless evidence are obtained to support it, these were all speculations.
“The incident has been endorsed to two of our investigators and they will come up with a report as to their findings,” de Lemos said.
Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI (Cebu, 5th district) is reportedly seeking a congressional inquiry on the incident.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of National Security detained the employees last Sept. 19.
They were held in maximum security facility for about a month. They arrived in Cebu last Oct. 22. (KNR)
