Two jailed OFWs from Saudi arrive home
01/07/2010 | 04:32 AM
Two jailed overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who were among those pardoned by the Saudi Arabian government in October 2009 are expected to be reunited with their families Wednesday night.
Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of overseas Filipino migrant workers organizations in the Middle East (ME), said in a statement that the two OFWs’ repatriation came two months after they were pardoned on the occasion of the Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim Holiday which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
“Rodolfo Cleofas, an OFW based in Jeddah, called (Wednesday to say) his father, Jose Cleofas, 55 years old, and fellow OFW Reynaldo Liwanag, 50 years old, are (headed) to the airport escorted by local police for their repatriation," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator, hours before the two OFWs were scheduled to arrive in Manila.
Monterona said Rodolfo sought the group’s assistance March last year about the case of his father, Jose, and his co-worker Liwanag after the two had been jailed for possession of liquor which is considered illegal in the kingdom.
Both were employed by Mansour Jumah Agriculture Company, an agri-business corporation based in Dammam in Saudi Arabia.
According to Monterona, Migrante had sought the attention of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh’s Assistance to Nationals section for legal assistance to the detained OFWs after receiving Rodolfo’s request.
The group quotes the younger Cleofas as saying his father had worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years and that his father had just filed his resignation a month before he and Liwanag were apprehended by local police.
“Both (were) sentenced for 2 years, but were fortunate to be included in the list for pardon granted by the Saudi government," Monterona added.
Saudi’s royal family, whose members occupy the highest positions in the government, normally grants pardons for petty crimes during Eid ul-Ftir, Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), or during any other special occasion celebrated by the royal family.
On December 11, Saudi’s King Abdullah granted royal pardons for those who have committed petty crimes. [See: Pardons by Saudi King spark jailed OFWs’ hopes for release] – Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV
Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of overseas Filipino migrant workers organizations in the Middle East (ME), said in a statement that the two OFWs’ repatriation came two months after they were pardoned on the occasion of the Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim Holiday which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
“Rodolfo Cleofas, an OFW based in Jeddah, called (Wednesday to say) his father, Jose Cleofas, 55 years old, and fellow OFW Reynaldo Liwanag, 50 years old, are (headed) to the airport escorted by local police for their repatriation," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator, hours before the two OFWs were scheduled to arrive in Manila.
Monterona said Rodolfo sought the group’s assistance March last year about the case of his father, Jose, and his co-worker Liwanag after the two had been jailed for possession of liquor which is considered illegal in the kingdom.
Both were employed by Mansour Jumah Agriculture Company, an agri-business corporation based in Dammam in Saudi Arabia.
According to Monterona, Migrante had sought the attention of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh’s Assistance to Nationals section for legal assistance to the detained OFWs after receiving Rodolfo’s request.
The group quotes the younger Cleofas as saying his father had worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years and that his father had just filed his resignation a month before he and Liwanag were apprehended by local police.
“Both (were) sentenced for 2 years, but were fortunate to be included in the list for pardon granted by the Saudi government," Monterona added.
Saudi’s royal family, whose members occupy the highest positions in the government, normally grants pardons for petty crimes during Eid ul-Ftir, Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), or during any other special occasion celebrated by the royal family.
On December 11, Saudi’s King Abdullah granted royal pardons for those who have committed petty crimes. [See: Pardons by Saudi King spark jailed OFWs’ hopes for release] – Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV
