MANILA, Philippines—A migrant workers’ organization based in the Middle East on Saturday blamed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Embassy and labor officials in Saudi Arabia for the death of an overseas Filipino worker awaiting deportation in Jeddah.

“The Arroyo administration which has been negligent in its responsibility of providing protection to OFWs in distress and runaways in the Middle East has once again proved its own incapability,” Migrante-Middle East said in a statement.

Ryan Castillo, 30, a native of Batangas City, suddenly collapsed and died due to the harsh conditions in a Jeddah deportation cell on April 6.

Philippine Consul General Ezzedin Tago reported to the DFA that Castillo surrendered to the deportation center in Jeddah without the knowledge of the consulate, which therefore failed to endorse him for deportation.

The online news site of Arab News said that Castillo posed as a pilgrim who had lost his identification documents and turned himself in to expedite his deportation.

Migrante-ME regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said they were contemplating filing both criminal and administrative charges against all the negligent Filipino consular officials responsible for Castillo’s death.

Seek inquiry

The OFW leader also urged Congress, especially the committees dealing with labor, OFWs and foreign relations, to conduct an inquiry to prevent a repeat of the incident.

Monterona, who is based in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, said Migrante had been urging the Arroyo administration to immediately arrange for the repatriation of stranded OFWs in Jeddah who were in deportation cells and those seeking refuge under the Khandera Bridge in the city.

“Their lives have been so miserable; no food to eat, some of them are sick and ill, and some are suffering from trauma due to the abuses and physical harm inflicted on them by their employers,” Monterona said.

Migrante-ME also scored the DFA and embassy officials for allegedly keeping away from the public the worsening situation of OFWs in the Middle East, prompting the victims themselves and their families to directly seek assistance from cause-oriented migrant organizations such as Migrante.

Inept officials

“Distressed and runaway OFWs often share their problems with us elaborating how Philippine embassy and consular officials have badly treated [them], and even threatened them to be returned to their employer or be sent to jail if they would not accept so-called ‘amicable settlement’ with their abusive employers,” Monterona said.

He said these inept officials should be fired and replaced by capable officials with the compassion and willingness to promote and protect the OFWs’ rights and welfare.

Migrante-ME also expressed alarm over the rising incidents of runaway and distressed OFWs in the Middle East.

The group said there were an estimated 1,300 distressed and runaway OFWs in Jeddah, Riyadh, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar.