Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) — Some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) shared their harrowing experience after evacuating the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to reach the Sudan-Egypt border on Thursday.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, OFW John Emil Deza and Manolo Buenviaje said their bus driver suddenly stopped in a desert area while enroute to the Egyptian border.
Deza said the bus driver’s action caused panic among exhausted passengers, especially those with children.
“Ayaw po bumiyahe ng bus na ni-rent po para sa amin dahil hindi pa rin po nababayaran. Parang ginawa kaming hostage at hindi raw po sila aalis hanggat hindi sila fully paid,” Deza said.
[Translation: Our bus driver did not want to push through with the trip unless it is fully paid. We felt like we’re being hostaged so that they can demand their money.]
Buenviaje said the Philippine honorary consul in Sudan already made arrangements with the driver including the completion of payments once the trip was over. They were surprised when the driver suddenly stopped in a deserted area, an hour away from the actual destination.
“Tumigil po kami sa disyerto ng mga limang oras. Nagkaroon ng pag-uusap hanggang sa pumayag na ang driver. Mahirap lang po kasi nagtiis kami sa initan, kawawa po talaga ang mga bata, sanggol at babae dahil wala kaming masisilungan,” he added.
[Translation: We stopped in a desert for five hours. There were negotiations made until the driver finally agreed to go on with the trip. It’s unfortunate because children, babies and women suffered from the situation and there’ s nowhere to take shelter from the extreme heat.]
Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said they have received similar reports from Filipinos from Sudan, and already cascaded it to the Philippine Embassy in Egypt which is facilitating the repatriation process.
“Tawag ko nga tulisan mode dahil alam ng bus drivers at owners na desperate unang transaction nasa $8,000 per bus. Ngayon, nasa $30,000 per bus yung iba gusto pa dadagan bago ibaba ang workers,” Ople told CNN Philippines in a separate interview.
[Translation: Some people are taking advantage of the desperate situation. For the bus drivers and owners, the initial transaction was at $8,000 per bus and then they changed it to $30,000 some of them even want to ask for more money before they drop off our workers.]
Ople is now in Egypt to personally oversee the evacuation and repatriation of Filipinos from Sudan.
“We will be giving temporary shelter, food, financial aid na $200 dollars each, so ise-set up namin yung welfare stations namin especially for the women na may mga kasamang mga bata,” she added.
[Translation: We will be giving temporary shelter, food and financial aid amounting to $200. We will also set up welfare stations especially for women with children.]
Issue resolved
Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago clarified that it was an isolated incident, and that the issue has already been resolved.
“Our consul had already made prearranged agreements with them, including also mode of payment. I think there was an instance only once yesterday. But that was resolved,” Tago told CNN Philippines’ News Night on the same day.
Tago added that the embassy has shouldered the entry and exit visa fees of Filipinos crossing the border, and has also assisted with the issuance of their other travel documents.
He also thanked the Egyptian government for helping his countrymen.
