The Philippine government's alleged failure in assisting hundreds of distressed and abused Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Middle East could lead to widespread protest actions among OFWs in the region, a group of Middle East-based OFWs warned on Wednesday.

This, as Riyadh-based John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of Migrante-Middle East, reported that more than a hundred runaway OFWs yesterday stormed the Philippine Consulate Offices in Jeddah to ask for the Philippine government's assistance for their repatriation.

"There will come a time that these thousands of runaway and distressed OFWs in Saudi or any country in the Middle East will stage the first-ever protest rally of OFWs against their very own government’s continued neglect out of their desperation and discontent," Monterona said in a statement.

"There could be no other form of actions to take for desperate and discontented OFWs and their families than to collectively protest the neglect of the Arroyo administration to the so-called "Modern Heroes," he added.

The group wants Philippine posts in the Middle East to take custody of the detained OFWs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as those who have ran away from their abusive employers but their requests allegedly fell on deaf ears.

Monterona said that "as RP posts in the Middle East and around the world are headed by country’s top diplomats, they should use their knowledge in diplomacy effectively and pro-actively to help the increasing numbers of distress and runaway, abused and maltreated OFWs especially in the Middle East."

He said that during several phone conversations with embassy officials in Riyadh, he stressed the idea of taking custody of the detained officers and members of the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) so that they can be temporarily released and report to work.

The KGS members along with other OFWs were arrested last August 14 for alleged illegal "mixed gathering" as KSA laws forbid the gathering of males and females in public and private places except if they are married or they are with their families. They were arrested at the KGS safe house "where distressed and runaway OFWs are temporarily seeking refuge."

"This is the same suggestion given to us by the Human Rights Society of Saudi Arabia, a non-governmental organization in Saudi Arabia advocating the promotion of human rights when we have asked their assistance so that KGS members will be released temporarily. But we are disappointed to hear from our Riyadh-based Philippine Embassy officials that they can’t do it, for whatever reason they only knew," Monterona said.

"The case of four KGS members who are still detained in Riyadh for five days now since their arrest last Friday for violating Saudi’s customary laws is a case in point where the Philippine Embassy could use diplomacy by asking the host government to release the detained KGS members and place them under its custody," Monterona added while noting that the troubled OFWs' only intention was to assist distressed and runaway OFWs.

As of Wednesday, Monterona said those who are still in jail are Mario Ben, Mike Garlan, Ronilo Reyes, and Rustico Marcos, all officers and members of KGS, an affiliate of Migrante-ME, an organization helping
maltreated and abused OFWs.

Still detained are distressed and runaway workers who were arrested along with the KGS members and these are Rey Balagtas, Elvira De Guzman, Clemia Corpus, Sarah Gumansing, Rosa Salazar, and Amauri Meris.