The Kuwait Anti-Trafficking Task Force, created last September, identified the erring government official as Ibrahim Daligdig Tanandato, assistant to the Nationals Unit head at the Consular Office of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. Tanandato violated the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 as well as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the task force said. The anti-trafficking group also recommended charges filed against Muamar Mamosion and Omar Khalil, who were hired by the embassy as Arabic translators, and lawyers Khaled Almas and Ayied Al-Subaie who were hired to represent the embassy. The complainants said a government official hired them to work as domestic helpers—with a monthly salary of 50 Kuwaiti dinars or around P7,900—without proper documentation from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. The government official then supposedly “took advantage of one of the victims by deceiving her that her back wages have not been paid yet by her previous lawyers.” The task force said the suspects, including the embassy-hired lawyers and translators, demanded money from the complainants as attorney’s fees. Two of the complainants narrated they were also recruited to handle bomb-sniffing dogs with salaries from P30,000 to P35,000. One of the complainants allegedly paid one of the suspects P10,000 as a training fee, and an Immigration officer an additional P23,000. When they arrived in Kuwait, the victims were made to sign a document stating their salary was only 110 Kuwaiti dinars or around P17,500.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 10:53:50 +0000
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