Press Release
September 30, 2022

Tulfo wants criminal charges filed vs agencies & people liable for OFW's death

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo has recommended the filing of criminal charges against local agency Gulf Synergy Employment Inc. and its employees who were largely responsible for the death of Filipino domestic helper Jovelyn Tang Andres.

Tulfo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, said Gulf Synergy failed to fulfill its duty to monitor and ensure the safety of Andres, who was abused in Saudi Arabia and eventually died.

"Mayroong nabuwis na buhay dahil sa Gulf Synergy Employment, Inc. Hindi lang suspensyon, kailangan masampahan din ng kasong kriminal ang mga taong naging dahilan ng pagkamatay ng isang OFW dahil sa kanilang kapabayaan.

"Bagamat inamin ng Gulf Synergy ang kanilang pagkakamali at humingi ng pasensya, hindi na nito maibabalik ang buhay ni Jovelyn. Panahon na para managot ang mga pabayang ahensya," he said.

During the Senate hearing of the Migrant Workers Committee on Wednesday, Tulfo asked Gulf Synergy President Arnulfo Babiera to explain their obvious neglect of duty to monitor Andres' condition.

Babiera claimed that he was unaware of Andres' situation prior to her death, but admitted that they indeed failed to monitor her situation and afford her the protection she deserved because the foreign recruitment agency was supposedly unreachable.

Notably, Andres went to Saudi Arabia after being recruited from Saranggani by a certain Emma Fernandez, an agent of Manabe Aleklas Recruitment Agency, which is the counterpart of Gulf Synergy in Saudi.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Toots Ople confirmed that there was already a clear violation of law with regards to Andres' recruitment because a foreign recruitment agency like Manabe is not authorized to directly recruit workers from the Philippines.

Therefore, Fernandez is an illegal recruiter entertained by Gulf Synergy despite knowing that what she was doing is against the law.

Based on government agencies and fellow OFWs, Andres' employer only knew about her pregnancy when she was already in Saudi, which prompted them to return her to Manabe. People from Manabe, instead of helping her, allegedly mixed medicine into her food and drink to abort the baby without her consent. Manabe even sold Andres to three different employers despite her plea to just go back to the Philippines.

An autopsy report found that Andres, who was found dead inside the bathroom of Manabe's accommodation last March 25, died because of asphyxia by ligature

A psychologist confirmed that Andres most likely committed suicide due to post-partum depression, atop all the hardship she went through from the abortion and being passed on from an employer to another.

Given the circumstances, Tulfo also recommended filing criminal charges against Fernandez, Manabe, as well as her foreign employers.

"Eto pong si Emma Fernandez, na isang illegal recruiter, dapat ay masampahan din ng kasong kriminal. Now, meron po kaming balita, na papunta po siyang Saudi sa Friday. Baka pwede sigurong mapigilan muna sya dahil haharap pa siya sa kasong illegal recruitment. Ayokong makawala ito," he said.

DMW Sec. Toots Ople assured Tulfo that they will help find Fernandez and hold her accountable for her crime.

In the case of foreign employers and Manabe, Ople said they are already building a joint technical group with the Ministry of Social Resource and Social Development in Saudi to ensure that appropriate actions will be taken against them.

During the hearing, Tulfo also asked Babiera to explain the continued operation of Gulf Synergy under a different name (Time Express Manpower) despite the suspension of its license, but the latter claimed he was unaware of it.

To prove his claim, Tulfo said one of his staff members tried messaging the Facebook Page of Gulf Synergy and individual people connected to it, and his staff got a reply that the recruitment of OFWs is still ongoing, but this time under Time Express Manpower.

Due to this, Tulfo ordered DMW Usec. Bernard Olalia to closely monitor recidivists like Time Express Manpower who are putting up a new agency after a different name amid their suspension, to which the latter agreed to comply to.

Tulfo, who has been fighting for OFWs' rights for more than two decades, said DMW should strengthen its monitoring system of OFWs in different countries by ensuring regular visits to their workplaces, as well as psychological exams to check their state of mind and find out if they are overworked, homesicked or experiencing other symptoms that may lead to depression.


Tulfo, gustong sampahan ng kasong kriminal ang mga ahensya, employer dahil sa pagkamatay ng OFW

Inirekomenda ni Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo ang pagsasampa ng mga kasong kriminal laban sa Gulf Synergy Employment Inc. at mga empleyado nito na responsable sa pagkamatay ng Filipino domestic helper na si Jovelyn Tang Andres.

Ayon kay Tulfo, na Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, pumalpak ang Gulf Synergy sa tungkulin nitong subaybayan at tiyakin ang kaligtasan ni Andres, na nakaranas ng pangaabuso sa Saudi Arabia bago namatay.

"Mayroong nabuwis na buhay dahil sa Gulf Synergy Employment, Inc. Hindi lang suspensyon, kailangan masampahan din ng kasong kriminal ang mga taong naging dahilan ng pagkamatay ng isang OFW dahil sa kanilang kapabayaan.

"Bagamat inamin ng Gulf Synergy ang kanilang pagkakamali at humingi ng pasensya, hindi na nito maibabalik ang buhay ni Jovelyn. Panahon na para managot ang mga pabayang ahensya," ani Tulfo.

Sa pagdinig ng Komite nitong Miyerkules, sinabihan ni Tulfo si Gulf Synergy President Arnulfo Babiera na ipaliwanag kung bakit nagpabaya sila sa tungkulin na i-monitor ang kalagayan ni Andres.

Sinabi ni Babiera na hindi niya alam ang sitwasyon ni Andres bago ito namatay, ngunit inamin niya na talagang nabigo silang i-monitor ang kanyang sitwasyon dahil hindi umano rumeresponde sa kanilang mensahe ang foreign recruitment agency.

Pumunta si Andres sa Saudi Arabia matapos ma-recruit mula sa Saranggani ng isang nagngangalang Emma Fernandez, na ahente ng Manabe Aleklas Recruitment Agency, ang counterpart ng Gulf Synergy sa Saudi.

Kinumpirma ni Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Toots Ople na mayroon nang malinaw na paglabag sa batas patungkol sa recruitment ni Andres dahil ang isang foreign recruitment agency tulad ni Manabe ay hindi pwedeng direktang mag-recruit ng mga manggagawa mula sa Pilipinas.

Ayon sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno at kapwa OFWs, nalaman lang ng amo ni Andres ang pagbubuntis niya noong nasa Saudi na siya, dahilan para ibalik siya sa Manabe.

Sa halip na tulungan siya ng mga taga-Manabe, hinaluan umano ng gamot ang kanyang pagkain at inumin para ipalaglag ang sanggol nang walang pahintulot. Ibinenta pa ng Manabe si Andres sa tatlong magkaibang amo sa kabila ng kanyang pakiusap na bumalik na lang sa Pilipinas.

Napag-alaman sa autopsy report na si Andres ay namatay dahil sa asphyxia by ligature. Sinabi ng isang psychologist na malaki ang posibilidad na nagpakamatay si Andres dahil sa post-partum depression.

Dahil sa mga pangyayari, inirekomenda rin ni Tulfo ang pagsasampa ng kasong kriminal laban kay Fernandez, Manabe, gayundin sa kanyang mga dayuhang amo.

"Eto pong si Emma Fernandez, na isang illegal recruiter, dapat ay masampahan din ng kasong kriminal. Now, meron po kaming balita, na papunta po siyang Saudi sa Friday. Baka pwede sigurong mapigilan muna sya dahil haharap pa siya sa kasong illegal recruitment. Ayokong makawala ito," ani Tulfo.

Sinabi ni Ople kay Tulfo na tutulong sila sa paghahanap kay Fernandez at papanagutin ito sa kanyang krimen. Sa kaso naman ng mga dayuhang employer at Manabe, sinabi ni Ople na nagtatayo na sila ng joint technical group kasama ang Ministry of Social Resource and Social Development sa Saudi upang matiyak na makakagawa ng kaukulang aksyon laban sa kanila.

Kinwestyon din ni Tulfo ang patuloy na operasyon ng Gulf Synergy sa ilalim ng ibang pangalan (Time Express Manpower) kahit na supendido na ang lisensya nito.

Ani Tulfo, sinubukan ng isa sa kanyang staff na magmessage sa Facebook Page ng Gulf Synergy at mga indibidwal na taong konektado dito, at ang staff nya ay nakatanggap ng tugon na ang recruitment ng mga OFW ay patuloy pa rin, ngunit sa pagkakataong ito sa ilalim ng Time Express Manpower.

Dahil dito, inutusan ni Tulfo si DMW Usec. Bernard Olalia na mahigpit na subaybayan ang mga recidivists tulad ng Time Express Manpower na nagtatayo ng bagong ahensya gamit ang ibang pangalan sa gitna ng kanilang pagkakasuspinde.

Sinabi ni Tulfo na dapat palakasin ng DMW ang monitoring system nito sa mga OFWs sa iba't ibang bansa sa pamamagitan ng regular na pagbisita sa kanilang mga pinagtatrabahuan, gayundin ang mga psychological exams upang suriin ang estado ng pag-iisip nila.

News Latest News Feed