Ivler namesake still in shock after Qatar ordeal

MANILA, Philippines - Overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jason Aguilar, who was mistaken as fugitive murder suspect Jason Aguilar Ivler and detained for seven days in Qatar, remains in shock following his release the other day.

He might no longer return to his high-paying job as a welder in Qatar after being mistaken as a murder suspect, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Carmelita Dimzon said.

Dimzon said Aguilar has been deeply traumatized by his wrongful arrest in Qatar.

“I got to speak to him but he appears to be still in shock after being put behind bars for seven days without really knowing why he was arrested,” Dimzon said in an interview.

She said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Qatar is investigating the wrongful arrest and verifying if there were legal cases filed against Aguilar.

But based on the initial information, Aguilar left the country to work as a welder in Qatar last November, Dimzon said.

More than a month later, Aguilar was summoned by his employer and taken to the police station, where he was fingerprinted and put behind bars for no apparent reason.

Dimzon said the Philippine embassy and the POLO in Qatar were unaware of Aguilar’s arrest since he was not allowed to use a phone immediately upon his arrest.

“He was unable to call the embassy or even his family, fortunately one of the inmates, a Sri Lankan, lent Aguilar his cell phone so he was able to talk to his family. All the while the embassy was not aware of Aguilar’s plight,” she said.

She said OWWA was also not able to extend airport assistance to Aguilar because the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) immediately took him upon his return to the country, “only to find out that it was a (case of) mistaken identity.”

Dimzon said the NBI apparently submitted the name of fugitive Jason Aguilar Ivler to the International Police and the government of Qatar received a copy.

“It’s an Interpol operation, that is why our embassy was not informed about it, thus our embassy staff were unable to visit him in jail,” she pointed out.

If Aguilar has not been blacklisted, Dimzon said OWWA would help him return to his old job or provide him assistance in putting up his own business if he wants to stay here.

Meanwhile, the chief of the NBI Special Action Unit (SAU), which handles the Jason Ivler murder case, said yesterday they have to coordinate more closely with the NBI-Interpol Division to avoid a repeat of their mistake in sending too late its advice to Doha, Qatar police authorities that they arrested and deported the wrong man.

“With regards to the reason of Doha authorities, I don’t have any personal knowledge about what happened there. But probably because of the name of Jason Aguilar, he was deported. But apparently, he is not the subject of the manhunt which is Jason Aguilar Ivler,” said Angelito Magno, chief of the NBI-SAU.

“Next time maybe, if ever there will be another incident like that, we will closely coordinate with our foreign counterparts through our Interpol Division,” Magno said.

He blamed the Interpol for the late information he received, which made it virtually impossible for them to send their advice right away.

Aguilar was arrested on Dec. 31, 2009, but Magno only received the information on Jan. 5.

Magno said Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr., the father of Ivler’s reported victim, is willing to extend assistance to Aguilar “in order to have his job back immediately.”– Mayen Jaymalin, Sandy Araneta, Pia Lee-Brago