MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino nurse has accused an official of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait of trying get a a percentage from the supposed benefits that the worker would get after a case settlement.
Patrick Singson said he went to the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to seek assistance after an Arab doctor punched him inside the operating room just this year.
“Nagkamali po ako ng hawak doon sa instruction niya then he suddenly punched me twice,” said Singson, who is now back in the Philippines.
Singson said he filed a complaint before the management of the hospital and sought additional support from the embassy but was allegedly turned down.
“Hindi daw po ako entitled because they are only giving it to the domestic helpers,” he said.
Instead, Singson was referred by Daligdig Ibrahim Tanandato, the chief of the Assistance to Nationals unit of the embassy, to another Filipino who introduced himself as a financier to help him in his case.
“You should accept 10,000 KD as a form of settlement. May porsyento na kami doon,” Singson said, quoting Tanandato and the other Pinoy.
However, Tanandato belied the allegations.
“Hindi yan totoo sir. Wala din kaming sinabing porsyento-porsyento. Ang OUMWA (Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs) ang nagsasabi kung ano ang dapat naming gawin,” Tanandato said.
He even added that he fought for the OFW.
“Nakipag-away ako sa legal officer at doon sa human resource manager dahil pinaglalaban ko siya,” he said.
But Singson said he has evidence which he will submit to the Department of Foreign Affairs to prove his allegation agains the embassy official. Report from Henry Omaga-Diaz, ABS-CBN News
source: abs-cbnnews.com
