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Monday, June 13, 2011

Mother seeks assistance for pregnant OFW daughter detained in Saudi jail


 


The mother of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), who was apprehended by local police due to 'mixed crowd' with male Indian nationals and is currently detained in Malaz Central jail in Riyadh, seeks assistance to Migrante-Middle East.


Sometime in February, a composite team of local police raided a villa in Diriyah district in Riyadh where they nabbed OFWs Leonora and Sophia (not their real names) along with three  male Indian nationals. Both OFWs were charged of 'mixed crowd', a petty crime as per the host government customary laws.


"Please help my daughter, she already served her sentence and completed it on May 24," according to Mrs. Delia, mother of 'Leonora' (not her real name), through text messages sent to Migrante's regional director John Leonard Monterona.


Monterona said he had been receiving text messages from Mrs. Delia pleading for help for her daughter. "She claimed that her daughter is 7-month pregnant, and that she had been pardoned but still awaiting her flight booking," Monterona said.


Monterona said he talked to the PH embassy officer-in-charge of Leonora's case and it denies her mother's claim that she is pregnant. "The PH embassy case officer did not notice during jail visit last March that she is pregnant," Monterona averred.


However, Monterona said if OFW 'Leonora' is in constant communication with her mother by sending text messages and tells her real condition then we are of the opinion that she should be visited by the PH embassy at her cell in Malaz central jail women's section to ascertain her present condition.


"If she is indeed pregnant, the PH embassy must give priority attending her deportation by interfacing with the jail and the Saudi immigration authorities and immediately arrange to get a flight booking for her," Monterona added.


Monterona added Leonora's present condition may complicate her repatriation. "But it could be cited as a ground for humanitarian consideration by the jail and immigration authorities so that she will be repatriated as soon as possible."


"The PH embassy confirmed that she had served her jail term and in fact she's one of those pardoned by virtue of the Royal pardon granted by the Saudi King announced on February. So what's delaying her repatriation?" Monterona asked.


Migrante-Middle East calls on the PH embassy to attend on OFW Leonora's predicament and promptly conduct a jail visit and make proper representation to Saudi authorities so that she will be repatriated without further delay.

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