[RESOLVED] Ofw Tsikoteer (and Others) In Riyadh Desperately Need Our Help

[jedi]

My fellow tsikoteers, friends in media, bloggers and friends,

This is a letter sent to me by Mrs. Ellaine Luga, wife of Enriko, a fellow tsikot.com who is currently trapped in Saudi Arabia with his team of automobile designers. I am personally asking for all of your support on whatever resources we can share to help our kababayans.

A group of OFWs are currently unjustly imprisoned in Saudi Arabia in Cel# 6 Simisi Main Office of Jawasat because their employer had failed to process their eqama (work permit).

The OFWs, a team of automobile designers headed by Enrico Salgado Luga (tsikot nick – ehnriko), was originally recruited by their employer to design and build a truck, a first for Saudi Arabia. They initially arrived there last August 30, 2006 for a six month contract and proceeded to work for their employer.

The employer was initially kind to the team and paid their salaries on time. However he apparently soon encountered financial difficulties as project components weren’t procured promptly, causing significant delay. The team consequently had to extend their stay. However he gradually started delaying payment of their salaries as well and has not paid them for the last seven months. Moreover, their working hours were also extended to the point they hardly were given time off to rest.

Unbeknownst to them, the employer also never processed the extension of their work permits even though he has asked them to submit all their documents to him. Thus on December 11, 2007, to their surprise, the Saudi Police raided their workplace and arrested those present for working without an eqama (work permit). Two of the men, Ben Sangalang and Silbin Pongos, were fortunately not at the premises and managed to avoid arrest.

The rest of the team,

1. Enrico Salgado Luga

2. Redentor Padua

3. Ronelo Jaime

4. Ignacio Holasca Jr

5. Shams Tabrez Comred (Egyptian)

were arrested and jailed.

The employer promised to bail them out within 3 days but only Mr. Luga was bailed out and only after six days. The rest are still incarcerated in an unsanitary, congested jail without clean clothes, beds, pillows nor medicine for the various diseases they have since contracted. Their health conditions continue to deteriorate due to the inhumane jail conditions.

These men are ordinary automobile designers trying to earn a decent living overseas, given the lack of opportunities here in our own country. They are neither criminals nor fugitives. That they were working without an eqama is clearly the fault of their employer. Yet they are the ones being punished while their saudi arabian employer walks free.

Note: The identity of the employer has been withheld in this letter per the request of ehnriko for fear of possible additional retribution in the event their situation becomes widely-known via the Internet.

As much as the men are hoping our government will help them they are also realistic. Theirs is not the first case of injustice done to an OFW. Certainly it won’t be the last. But for the families of these men, what matters is that these men are able to back home safely and hopefully be with their respective families this holiday season.

Some of the tsikoteers have been working behind the scene by contacting resource persons to help get them out. In fact, Mon Tulfo had interceded on their behalf by contacting the Philippine embassy in Riyadh, only to be told our government can not officially act until January 5 because of the various holidays both here and in Saudi Arabia.

In the meantime, the men are languishing in jail without medication or sufficient food. While ehnriko has been bailed out and is presently staying with a friend, he is without any money (for food or medication). He is still in Riyadh simply because he feels responsible for them, having personally recruited them for the project there. At this point all of them desperately need our help.

We would like to appeal to our fellow tsikoteers, especially to those who are based in Saudi Arabia, to offer whatever kind of assistance they can provide - financial, medical, food, etc. – to the team.

For those who may have physical access to the team in Riyadh you may contact the men directly through their mobile phones. Note only ehnriko is a tsikoteer. He is also the team leader, so it may be best to contact him. Just identify yourself as a tsikoteer.

Enrico S. Luga (ehnriko) - +966563783679

Redentor Padua - +966560236930

Ronelo Jaime - +966564332027

For other tsikoteers who would like to help kindly contact Jedi of tsikot.com directly at 63905-333-8-777. Any help will greatly be appreciated.

In the interim, we also ask you to please spread their story so that we can pressure our government to help them. Hopefully we can also, via on-line forums, email groups, and blogs, manage to bring our collective voice to the international forefront so that the Saudi Arabian government will rectify the situation. (If you intend to pass this along, please add the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] URL for this thread.)

And if you would like to help or provide any other suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me, Elaine Manalaysay Luga, wife of Enrico Luga at +63.46.515.1609 or +63.919.705.7720. You can also email or YM me at [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

On behalf of ehnriko and his team, maraming salamat po.

Elaine Manalaysay Luga

updated list of pledges as of 10am december 29

the money will be used for food and medicine of enriko and his team

POX $200
Tsikot outreach fund $100
Vtec $100
ooba99 P2000


Ill update the list of pledges... just pm me for your pledges or contact me at 09053338777, any amount will do.

for the meantime you can send your donations too

BPI checking account
Jimuel Dancel
FTI Taguig Branch
account number 8230005711

You can also send your donation using Smart Padala or Smart money thru any smart wireless center

My smart money number is

5577 5158 0722 0107
Jimuel Dancel

my smart cellphone number 09192261644

for details on how to use smart padala, just visit their websites at [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] SMART/Value+Added+Services/SmartPadala/Domestic.htm

dont forget to keep your receipt for the reference number.

you can now send your donations thru paypal .

kindly send it to our paypal address [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

For our fellow tsikoteers na wala dito sa pinas at gusto magpadala ng donation, i will also update this thread para diretso na sa saudi nyo maipadala, para di na madoble ang charges... just send me a PM

list of blog supporters

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[artpogi]

The only suggestion I can make is to go to the Office of the Vice President.

Noli has helped alot of OFW's na niloko ng mga employer sa Middle East. Or you can go to DFA and relay to them what happened. But I think best bet yung kay VP Noli.

Will pray for their immediate release and repatriation here.

nakakagigil fucha

[mao_red]

grabe talaga trato sa mga pinoy oo...

yup, direcho kaay VP decastro mga OFW concerns..

sana maayos kaagad ito!

[dbuzz]

pag ganung 6months contract lang eh madalas na ginagawa ng employer ay business visa lang and not work visa ang entry nila sa k.s.a. gaya ng in my case business visa ang entry ko for one month lang. then dahil sa medyo nag-drag ang project kaya pa-extend-extend lang hanggan inabot ng mga ilang months ako doon at matiwasay namang nakauwi sa pinas.

ang masama lang dito sa business visa ginagamit ito ng ibang employers instead of work visa para makatipid.

malaki ang talo talaga natin kung magtrabaho doon at di dadaan sa POEA. i just hope they did.

depende sa companya kaya nagkaganun. malamang na on the verge of bankruptcy na yun at nakakita ng loophole para naka-iwas sa obligasyon nya.

anyway, extend ko na rin lang ang panawagan and i will contact my friends para makagawa ng ways how to let our kababayan get out of this mess.

[mazingerZ]

Sir Jedi,

Pwede bang magdonate Tcash for ehnriko's cause?

[freefries]

Oh my God...how sad...my hubby is an OFW as well...I hope and I prayed for the immediate released of the other employees..

Mahirap na ngang malayo sa pamilya tapos ganito pa mangyayari...

I hope some other tsikoteers, not only them but all of our kababayan are kind enough to help them...

May the good Lord help them..

[Ventoy]

Why they were brought to SIMISI bakit ganun ba laki ng kasalanan nila dapat yung Employer na lang kinulong:

[architect]

I just spoke with Elaine Luga, ehnriko's wife. She asked to me to relay the request for us, if possible at all, to help raise funds for the team, inasmuch as they don't expect to get their back pay (7 months). They would like to come home as soon as possible even if it means being deported.

Saudi-based tsikoteers who are near ehnriko and the guys and who are in a position to help are requested to contact ehnriko directly as they urgently need funds for both food and medicine.

As for other tsikoteers, perhaps Jedi can set-up the fund transfer details and let us know where we can remit our contributions.

And again, Elaine would like to express her heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for Tsikot's efforts and assistance.

[niky]

I'll donate something, if it'll be of any use... Jeff, just text or PM me... update naman kung anong nangyayari...

Gads... kawawa naman si ehnriko!

[jundogg]

poor pinoys talaga. working *sses out for the family and country pero ganun pa nangyayari.

im not saying we must depend fully on our pres or vp, pero sila ang makakapag-areglo jan pati narin ang philippine embassy dun. push the issue to them para mapabilis ang pagkilos nila. don't forget to include the "infamous" media. eto dapat ang i-cover nila.

my prayers are extended to them.

[pup2]

Verified na po ba ito, Mr. Jedi? Baka puwede tayo magtayo ng tsikot fund na may account no. para sa mga ganitong kaso kaya? Para madali mag deposit kung sakali?

[jedi]

yes this is verified, before christmas ko pa nakakausap ang wife ni enriko, it is only now that we published her email because they thought babalikan pa sila ng employer nila, kaya lang hindi nangyari yun... thats why ang pagasa na lang nila ay tulong mula sa embassy at philippine government... para mapadali naisip namin na maikalat na lang ang message na ito sa internet para mapansin ng media at para mapansin ng mga kinauukulan...

pero ang immediate problem right now is, wala na silang makain at gamot duon di sila napasweldo for several months, nagkasakit na yung iba sa kanila sa kulungan.

Originally Posted by pup2

Verified na po ba ito, Mr. Jedi? Baka puwede tayo magtayo ng tsikot fund na may account no. para sa mga ganitong kaso kaya? Para madali mag deposit kung sakali?

[sea.piper]

Originally Posted by pup2

Verified na po ba ito, Mr. Jedi? Baka puwede tayo magtayo ng tsikot fund na may account no. para sa mga ganitong kaso kaya? Para madali mag deposit kung sakali?

Agree ako dito..para sa lahat nang tsikot members .

[jedi]

there are plans for that pero next year pa, it will be under tsikot foundation account, para nakahiwalay ang fund and transaparent, board of directors of the foundation will come from tsikot members who are willing to take part para sa project ng foundation...

but right now, i can provide a temporary account na pwede dun madeposit any donation na pwede natin ipadala duon. I will get in touch with elaine kung paano ipapadala donation natin duon.

Originally Posted by sea.piper

Agree ako dito..para sa lahat nang tsikot members .

[jpdm]

I hope and I pray to GoD that the philippine embassy, media, OFWs based in KSA and the Middle East and the Pinoy public will take notice of their plight. Grabe talaga ang exploitation sa mga Pinoy.

This incident shows how rich/progressive countries treat Pinoy OFWs, even the highly skilled ones--as nothing more but cheap labor prone to abuses without any diplomatic protestations coming from our pathetic government--our national OFW pimp.

This serves an eye opener that we Pinoys need to help each other in building our local capabilities--our native industries (our own, real local auto industry which sir enrico belongs to)---our entire economy so that Pinoys will not go out of the country to work and expose themselves to more abuses and exploitation.

I hope that you can finally go home my fellow Caviteno, sir enriko ang company....