11 Pinoy workers in Kazakhstan repatriated

Eleven Filipino workers who were among those caught in last month’s riot in Kazakhstan are expected to arrive tonight, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) said yesterday.

The workers, who will arrive at around 7:30 p.m. via a Lufthansa flight, have volunteered to leave Kazakhstan for fear of their lives, according to Gwen Pang, PNRC focal person for international relations.

The workers were identified as Ricardo Ramos, Mark Lagroma, Lauro Aritmetica, Jimmy Fajardo, Guillermo Villacarlos, Edwin Quinto, Teddy Adriano, Julieto Agno, Oneal Landicho, John Serrano and Berlito Serut.

They comprise the first batch of repatriates from Kazakhstan. It is not immediately known, however, how many more Filipinos are coming home.

Many workers reportedly opted to stay put and wait for the tension to ease at their workplace.

Hundreds of Filipino workers were affected when a violent clash erupted between Kazakh and Turkish workers from an oil drilling site late last month. The riot reportedly left dozens people dead and injured, but Kazakh authorities have denied there were deaths.

Reports showed that the riot broke out when a worker cut into the line as they were waiting to be served a meal in the canteen.

There are around 600 Filipinos in the oil drilling project. The Filipino workers, mostly in construction and technical jobs, sought refuge in their quarters situated 30 minutes away from the riot site.

The workers sought the help of PNRC chair and Sen. Richard Gordon who immediately coordinated with the Department of Labor and Employment and foreign agencies to ensure their safety. — Sheila Crisostomo