A dire situation for the Philippine family in Qatar

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Your best bet on the ground in LA would be to go to the Philippine media first. Going to the consulate will just get your complaint tucked away by some bored bureaucrat. But a story in a local Philippine paper would be a shot across the bow.

Trust me on this. The Philippine government does not respond to requests or even pleas. But they respond to being embarrassed.

I saw the problem and was planning a variation of your suggestion:

My plan's to say something like, "I have some contacts with the Philippino newspaper here. Do you think I should contact them to get their help, or would it be easier for you to work quietly through backdoor channels? Whichever way you choose, in the end, I think they need to be told how much you're doing to help your countrymen. It'll be a major feather in your cap, and a boost for the consulate."

I also tried searching out a consulate for Qatar, but there doesn't seem to be one in L.A. I came across what appears to be the website for the Qatar government, but there's no link to law enforcement or immigration.

[pchang]

You are in Singapore?

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly


I love Poly's spirit of helping. But be prepared: going to a consulate in one country to help someone in another country is not going to get you much of anywhere, because consulates preside over distinct districts. We actually just had this situation here; a bunch of US seamen were trapped on a ship in China, and a company rep came to see us in Singapore for help. All we could really do is refer him to the appropriate consulate in China. What you propose is a little like walking into a police station in Chicago to report that someone you know is in trouble in Houston.

The best bet is still the Phil's embassy in Qatar; I've been trying to figure out if I know anyone serving there, but I don't. Still, they'd be worth a call: (974) 4861-220. Lancer should ask for whoever's covering Philippine Citizen Services.

Your best bet on the ground in LA would be to go to the Philippine media first. Going to the consulate will just get your complaint tucked away by some bored bureaucrat. But a story in a local Philippine paper would be a shot across the bow.

Trust me on this. The Philippine government does not respond to requests or even pleas. But they respond to being embarrassed.

Wish I could do more from here. Good luck.

I was just there. If I had known, I would like to have dropped by for a visit.

[Lancer]

Dolores spoke to Lucena who strongly suggested I not get involved. If it is seen that rich westerners are interested then it would become more difficult to get them freed, not less. This is working on the 'American price' theory. If I go shopping with Dolores the price will be inflated because they think we are all rich. If westerners get involved extortion becomes more possible.

So, the other nine girls wrote letters to their families and with Lucina and Crispina to advise them they will take the same path used to get Crispina out. This worked once so it makes sense to me...for now. The path they took is one Rufus suggested, going through the overseas foriegn worker govt organization.

Frustrating though, to do nothing but wait.

I'll keep track of the progress though and when one gets out, with her permittion, I'll post contact info for her here if anyone would care to help directly, ie, send a few bucks... as we are doing for Crispina.

If any don't get released then I will definately get more involved.

Sound reasonable?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Lancer - Sounds like you're going about it the right way (and like you've married one smart lady). When Crispina was still there, you're status as a potential target could have been offset by your status as a family member; but without that, you're just a meddling Western do-gooder, and that could backfire. Still might not be a bad thing to contact the International Oraganization for Migration, though, and see if they care.

pchang - yep, been here since August; give a shout if you're ever passing through again.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Lancer
Dolores spoke to Lucena who strongly suggested I not get involved. If it is seen that rich westerners are interested then it would become more difficult to get them freed, not less. This is working on the 'American price' theory. If I go shopping with Dolores the price will be inflated because they think we are all rich. If westerners get involved extortion becomes more possible.

So, the other nine girls wrote letters to their families and with Lucina and Crispina to advise them they will take the same path used to get Crispina out. This worked once so it makes sense to me...for now. The path they took is one Rufus suggested, going through the overseas foriegn worker govt organization.

Frustrating though, to do nothing but wait.

I'll keep track of the progress though and when one gets out, with her permittion, I'll post contact info for her here if anyone would care to help directly, ie, send a few bucks... as we are doing for Crispina.

If any don't get released then I will definately get more involved.

Sound reasonable?

Crispy probably had the best perpective on this thing, having gone through it first hand.

What's the story on her release? I'm sure the Egyptian guy didn't let her go out of the kindness of his heart.

[Lancer]

Ok, Dolores read the thread and considered it a good idea to contact the media, Philippine communities, and embassies. Also, there are other nationalities involved other than the eight, not nine, Filipinas. There are 2 from Shri Lanka, 4 from Indonesia.

The girls are being threated with prison if they don't sign a paper but Crispy has guts and refused. That's one reason why she's free.

One of the Filipinas has vaginal bleeding for three months and is very sick, and starved. Instead of sending her home the agency forced her to go to a new employer.

Another is being threated with the confiscation of her property in the Philippines and she is scared to go home and lose all her families property. She will stay locked up until they find her another employer.

The Filipina woman at the agency not only confiscated Crispy's Qatar money, but took 250 Philippine pesos directly out of her wallet. It may be that stealing what little these girls earn from their employers is the plan.

So, Lucena will send an email with all the info she has and I'll post it here, and call the organization in the US that Rufus suggested.

Anything you guys can do, go for it. Just DON'T CALL THE AGENCY. They don't need to know there are westerners involved.

I'll post the info soon as I get it. Dolores says Lucina will send it "soon, a few hours".

Am I forgetting anything?

Rufus, are you in Indonesia?

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly


I love Poly's spirit of helping. But be prepared: going to a consulate in one country to help someone in another country is not going to get you much of anywhere, because consulates preside over distinct districts. We actually just had this situation here; a bunch of US seamen were trapped on a ship in China, and a company rep came to see us in Singapore for help. All we could really do is refer him to the appropriate consulate in China. What you propose is a little like walking into a police station in Chicago to report that someone you know is in trouble in Houston.

The best bet is still the Phil's embassy in Qatar; I've been trying to figure out if I know anyone serving there, but I don't. Still, they'd be worth a call: (974) 4861-220. Lancer should ask for whoever's covering Philippine Citizen Services.

Your best bet on the ground in LA would be to go to the Philippine media first. Going to the consulate will just get your complaint tucked away by some bored bureaucrat. But a story in a local Philippine paper would be a shot across the bow.

Trust me on this. The Philippine government does not respond to requests or even pleas. But they respond to being embarrassed.

Wish I could do more from here. Good luck.

Regarding the spirit of giving, you should have seen this community build the Apolytoner's House.

[Zkribbler]

Nope. He's across the Staits in Singapore.

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
.. a company rep came to see us in Singapore for help...

[Lancer]

Zkrib, Crispy was surprised to be put on a plane, she thought she was being taken to prison. Dolores says it was an Egyptian woman, she own the agency. I first heard it as a guy iirc. I don't know what part she had. The nasty Filipina was the badun Crispy dealt with.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Lancer
So, Lucena will send an email with all the info she has and I'll post it here...

Dolores is a smart lady, but I'm not so sure you should be posting all the information at this point and letting Polytubbers run off in all directions with it. It'd only take one misstep to have this thing blow-up in our faces.

I suggest that, at first, you post only general information to keep us informed. What you really need to do, though, is to contact the agency, like Rufus suggested. See what they say.

If the agency agrees that wide support is needed, then consider posting the more specific material here.

Or if they say more targetted action is needed (e.g. support from a newspaper or the Shi Lankan government) then, if someone gets a specific idea, let them PM you with it, and if you approve, PM them back the specific info.

[Zkribbler]

...continuing on with my thought...

Say, I contact a Philippino newspaper in L.A. with the story. What's the first thing they're going to do? Check it out, right? How? By calling the employment agency and getting their side of it. That would be bad.


How I'd really like to see this thing end is with Qatarian police or military kicking down the door, rescuing the ladies, and putting the bad guys in jail. So...what's the best way to get there from here?

[Zkribbler]

Damn, re-reading my post, I just realized we're talking about two agencies here:

Philippine Citizen Services = good agency.
employment agency = bad agency

[Lancer]

Hmm, yes. Maybe just calling the human rights group with a US office and letting Lucina and Crispy go through the Philippine govt group that got Crispy out. I think these girls have been threatened into signing some sort of contract though. That might prevent their rescue by the same govt group that rescued Crispy. That may be part of the reason Crispy got out, she wouldn't sign. Speculation though...

[SlowwHand]

Seeing their side, seeing what they say, isn't an automatic bad thing.
Journalists hear lies all the time, just like cops, and develop a 6th sense about them.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Lancer
Hmm, yes. Maybe just calling the human rights group with a US office and letting Lucina and Crispy go through the Philippine govt group that got Crispy out. I think these girls have been threatened into signing some sort of contract though. That might prevent their rescue by the same govt group that rescued Crispy. That may be part of the reason Crispy got out, she wouldn't sign. Speculation though...

Exactly right. The employment agency probably knows they can't hold the girls legally, and fears government interferrence. So they're trying to get the girls to sign a contract before they (or their relatives) wise up and demand their release. With any luck, you'll have helped a bunch of them.