Gov’t help sought for 15 OFWs in Sabah

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:58:00 06/19/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Fifteen Filipino workers are being kept in slave-like conditions in a palm oil plant in Sabah and are asking the Philippine government for help, according to groups that conducted a fact-finding mission there.

According to the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrant Workers (APMM) and the Gabriela party list, the 15 workers of Hoy Chan Plantations in Jalan Jeroco, Sabah are also at risk of dying of hunger after their employer stopped them from getting food from the company store.

The OFWs have been in the company from December 2008 and March 2009. They are Joenel Caro, Roland Casis, Nelio Casquejo, Ruben Cortel, Moisis Cortel, Michael Duran, John Mark Libuna, Vicente Libuna, Rene Lim, Ariel Lorena, Ian Rey Lorena, Butch Pastolero, Quizy Pastolero, Romeo Pedregosa, and Zandro Camda. They started work at the company at different times between December 2008 and March 2009.

They said no Philippine government agency was attending to the plight of the 15 undocumented OFWs.

Gabriela party list Representative Luz Ilagan, who joined the mission in Sandakan, Sabah and Kota Kinabalu, said the OFWs are victims of “bonded slavery” because their situation: They are being held by the employers, they are required to work more hours than legally allowed, they are paid very low wages, and they do not have any social security benefits, among others.

And the APMM agreed. “The employer should be investigated for practicing bonded labor. Such kind of practice which is akin to slavery is prohibited under international law,” it said.

Ilagan also pointed out another complication to the situation of the 15 workers, and those in similar dire straits. She said Sabah, which is claimed by both the Philippines and Malaysia, does not have a Philippine government office which could attend to Filipino workers.

“The problem is the structure is not clear as who should assist these workers. We don’t have an embassy in Sabah because of the claims dispute of the land,” she said in a phone interview.

She said most workers in Sabah’s palm oil plantations have stayed there beyond the limit allowed by the Malaysian government because they could not afford the renewal fee of their passport.

In a separate statement, the international workers' alliance Migrante urged the Arroyo administration to send a rescue mission to the 15 workers being held in the palm oil plantation.

“The OFWs are being held against their will without any food in retaliation for their refusal to work due to inhuman conditions in the plantation. The OFWs are calling for help and needs government intervention so that they can be repatriated back to the Philippines,” said Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairman.