OFW dies of COVID-19 symptoms in Riyadh, kin blames his employer

A son of an OFW working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday claimed that his father died after he did not receive the proper treatment for his COVID-19 symptoms.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Frinj Tayag, son of water treatment operator Marcelo Tayag, said his father on May 23 started to have fever on May 23 which lasted for five days.

Marcelo was brought to the villa clinic on May 28. Doctors recommended that he be sent to a hospital.

LIVE sa DZBB: Frinji Tanyag, anak ng isang OFW na pumanaw sa Riyadh dahil sa hinihinalang COVID-19.

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However, the Egyptian villa supervisor did not follow the clinic's referral to bring Marcelo to a hospital, according to Tayag.

"Ini-lock siya sa may kabilang building which is 'yung isolation building nila, quarantine building nila. Sineparate siya sa mga kasamahan niya, na ngayon ang alam ko may mga symptoms din ang mga kasamahan niya sa kwarto eh," Tayag said.

Tayag said his father had undergone a swab test for COVID-19, which turned out to be negative. However, his father's COVID-19 symptoms resurfaced on May 23.

Tayag claimed his father was separated in the villa's quarantine building on Saturday, May 30.

They were able to contact him the following day, May 31, where Marcelo said he was being transferred to different floors.

Tayag said their family was  not able to contact his father on June 1, but his father supposedly called a relative, asking for help.

On the night of June 1, they received a call from their father's co-worker that Marcelo had died.

Tayag added that on May 31, an ambulance arrived at the isolation building.

"Ngayon, hinarang nu'ng villa supervisor na Egyptian, so kinausap sa labas ng room ng father ko na hindi na po bumalik ang ambulance," Tayag said.

"Pinipilit ko na lang pong kahit na hirap na hirap na po ako. Sa totoo lang, ilang araw na akong humihingi ng tulong," Marcelo said in a video.

Tayag said they have no idea as of the moment where their father is, but they have already contacted the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.

"Hindi namin alam since kahit confirmation man lang na directly from the employer or embassy na talagang patay na siya, wala pa po kaming balita," Tayag said.

He said his father was supposed to return to Philippines this July.

The matter was forwarded to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who said the agency will aim to claim the death insurance of Tanyag. -Jamil Santos/NB, GMA News