RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia allowed 160 runaway overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to return to the Philippines along with President Rodrigo Duterte, said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday, April 12.

In a press conference in Riyadh, Bello said “there is the possibility” that these runaway OFWs will fly to the Philippines with Duterte on Easter Sunday, April 16.

Bello described the “runaways” as usually undocumented OFWs who were victimized by illegal recruitment.

He explained that the Philippine government brought up the case of 160 runaway OFWs in a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s labor ministry on Tuesday, April 11.

Bello said the Philippine government asked Saudi Arabia’s labor minister to facilitate the repatriation of these OFWs. 

Saudi Arabia’s labor minister had a “very positive” response, according to Bello. The Philippines’ labor secretary is “planning to firm up” this commitment later on Wednesday.

Duterte is in Riyadh for a two-day state visit. He is flying to Bahrain on Wednesday and then to Qatar. – Rappler.com