10 Pinoys caught fishing illegally in Saudi seek help

The 10 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were caught fishing illegally in Saudi Arabia are asking the Philippine government to help them return home after their employer allegedly did not pay them their wages. Redentor Hubahib, one of the 10 fishermen stranded in Saudi Arabia for more than a year now, told GMA News Online in a long-distance telephone interview that they became unemployed after authorities caught them fishing illegally on Saudi seas in July last year. Felipe Batiancila, another fisherman, said they did not know that fishing with the use of an arrow was prohibited in Saudi. “Sana nga nasabihan kami ‘nung nakaraang June [‘nung pre-departure orientation seminar] na bawal pala ito para hindi na lang kami tumuloy," Batiancila told GMA News Online. After the fishermen were caught by Saudi authorities, “pinabayaan nalang kami ng employer namin," Hubahib said, adding that they were never placed under police custody. “Mula noon, hindi na kami binigyan ng sweldo at pagkain ng employer namin," Hubahib also said, noting that they were offered a monthly salary of 1,500 Saudi riyals, roughly equivalent to P17,000. The other distressed fishermen who are part of the group are:

Ten distressed overseas Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia seek help from the Philippine government. Patnubay.com

Arden Oncepido. Hubahib said they tried to seek help from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jeddah, which later asked the fishermen’s Manila-based recruiter to coordinate with the Saudi employer. GMA News Online has contacted the recruitment agency but its official has yet to comment on the issue. According to the fishermen, the Saudi employer said they can help the 10 Filipinos return to the Philippines only after the Manila-based recruiter pay the employer some $60,000 for the expenses it incurred for the travel of the fishermen. “Mahigit isang taon na rin kami rito, mukhang ayaw nang magbayad ‘nung recruiter namin sa employer," Hubahib added.

Saudi Arabia is one of the top destination countries of Filipino migrant workers. From 2000 to 2009, a total of 778,084 Filipinos were deployed to Saudi Arabia, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) records showed. As of 2009, Saudi Arabia contributed 52 percent to the Middle East deployment and nearly 30 percent to worldwide deployment of Filipino worker, according to the POEA. — VVP, GMA News