Kuwait Times

Published Date: August 08, 2007
By Ben Garcia, Staff writer

KUWAIT: The Philippine fact finding mission, headed by Presidential Middle East Envoy Roy Cimatu, started their work to uncover the truth behind the alleged trafficking of Filipinos to work on the construction of the US embassy in Iraq. The news about the trafficking of foreign workers was exposed by American paramedic, Rory James Mayberry, when he testified before the US congress in July.

In response to the exposé, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo deputed presidential envoy Cimatu to find out whether the claim was accurate since the Philippines has barred their nationals from working in the war-torn country since 2004.

Speaking with the Kuwait Times yesterday, Cimatu promised to uncover the truth behind the smuggling of Filipinos to Iraq. "We have started the mission and we have scheduled meetings with the management of First Kuwaiti Co. They have promised to assist us in our mission to Iraq soon. Moreover as we want to personally talk with the alleged smuggled Filipinos, the company has provided us with a list of names," Cimatu said.

Ambassador Cimatu did not mention on when they are moving to Iraq but noted it will be right after his meeting with First Kuwaiti Co in which the date was not mentioned. "In fairness with First Kuwaiti Co, they have been very helpful to us. They are even willing to arrange a video conference while we are still in Kuwait for us to see the real situation in the work site. But we reiterated our willingness to see them personally and be able to talk with them," stressed Cimatu.

Earlier, the First Kuwaiti Company stated that the number of Filipinos who were allegedly smuggled to Iraq were only 11 people and not 51. "They provided us with only eleven names contradicting the 51 Filipinos as earlier claimed by Mayberry (the American witness). The charter plane manifest and the Filipinos on the flight will reveal the truth. We already asked for the copy of the manifest and they promised to provide us with one," he added.

The Philippine government has been very much concerned about the alleged trafficking of Filipinos especially after Mayberry reported to the US congress about the alleged ill-treatment of foreign workers. Moreover, the Filipinos were allegedly contracted to work in Dubai and not with Iraq. The Philippines has barred its nationals to work in Iraq after the kidnapping incident which triggered the Arroyo government to pull out their troops out of Iraq.

According to Cimatu, the American embassy and the Kuwait government expressed their readiness to cooperate with the Philippine fact finding mission. "We already met with US embassy officials here and the local authorities and they promised to help," Cimatu opined. He also reiterated the fact that Filipinos are not yet allowed to work nor enter Iraq. "The situation there is still not fit for our workers and we want to enforce the ban. From time to time, I visit the Middle East to assess the situation and I
report directly to the president on any progress.

The Philippine mission to Iraq was temporarily transferred to Jordan due to continuing hostilities there. Nonetheless, functions of their mission continue as there are a few remaining Filipinos in the American camps. "There are more Filipinos in Iraq, some of them entered after the second Gulf war and some were there even before that war broke out," Cimatu concluded.

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KUWAIT: Philippine Presidential Envoy General Roy Cimatu with (Jordan based) Philippine Charge d'Affairs to Iraq Wilfredo Cuyugan pose for a photograph during an interview with the Kuwait Times at the Philippine embassy in Kuwait yesterday.