3 stranded OFWs arrested in Saudi

MANILA, Philippines - Three stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Riyadh were arrested by Saudi police yesterday.

The OFWs were collared after they were allegedly pinpointed by an officer of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) to the Saudi police, according to Migrante International vice chairperson John Leonard Monterona.

Monterona identified the three Filipinos as Lyndon Salonga, Juan Carlos, and Jon Jon De Vera.

He said the three were among the 200 OFWs who went to the POLO-OWWA office at 10 a.m. yesterday (Saudi time) to seek a dialogue with officials of the Philippine embassy in Riyadh for their repatriation.

Monterona urged Philippine Ambassador Ezzadin Tago to talk to the stranded OFWs.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will verify the report on the arrest of the three OFWs.