An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was prevented from leaving Saudi Arabia for an unpaid debt which the Filipino claimed to have been settled already.
OFW Ernesto Guillamon was about to board his Philippines-bound plane when he was blocked by an immigration officer for his unsettled debt, reported GMA News.
The immigration officer said Guillamon had to be cleared first since his residence visa was blocked.
To Guillamon’s surprise, the investigation revealed that he has a debt amounting to SAR15,000 or Php200,000, including interest, which started from a SAR3,000 loan he had in 2014 through a lending company.
The OFW, however, said he had settled the SAR3,000 loan after paying to the person in charge of debt collection in the company, which was later on revealed to have gone missing.
“Sumabay na rin ako sa mga kasamahan ko na umutang sa isang lending company at umutang ako ng SAR3,000 para pampagawa ng bahay. Hindi ko po alam na hindi ibinabayad [ng collector] ang pera na aming ibinibigay sa kanya,” the OFW said.
Guillamon has seeked the help of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah to investigate the ‘unsettled’ debt
Consul General Edgar Badajos also reminded OFWs to avoid engaging in loaning transactions, if possible, to avoid falling victims to swindlers.
“Hangga’t maari ay huwag na mangutang, pero kung kailangang-kailangan talagang mangutang ay dapat kaya mong bayaran at kung may pambayad ka ay bayaran mo na agad,” he said.
“Kung magbabayad ka, look for the person you can trust. Kung hindi mo kaya magbayad mismo sa taong nagpautang at kung nag-trust ka taong iyon ay siguraduhin mong ibinayad niya kasi kung hindi mo gagawin ‘yan, pag ikaw ay pauwi na ay baka ma-hold ka sa immigration.”
