Letter to OWWA for Lanuza

26 April 2008

The Board of Trustees
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
7th Street Corner F. B. Harrison
Pasay City, Philippines
Tel (00632) 8917601
Fax (00632) 5516640/
Email: adminmdr@owwa.gov.ph

Through: The Honorable Marianito Roque
Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

Dear Secretary Roque and the Board,
Greetings from Saudi Arabia !

The Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) of Riyadh , Saudi Arabia brings to your attention the case of Rodelio “Dondon” Lanuza, who is in Dammam death row and on the brink of being beheaded. God forbids.

While we pray and push for the Philippine government to exert all efforts to save the life of Dondon, KGS would like to request the OWWA Board of Directors to exempt Dondon Lanuza from the OWWA Scholarship policy and allow his two children to avail of a special scholarship this coming school opening until they graduate a college bachelor degree or two-year vocational course.

Perhaps you all know that Dondon Lanuza is no longer an active OWWA member because he has not paid his OWWA membership fees but this is because he is in jail.

Prior to this, Dondon is an OWWA member. Actually his wife who is working as a nurse at King Fahad Military Medical Complex and earning only SR1,000 a month is an active member but according to an OWWA official, as stated in the attached news article published in Bulatlat.com, she is not entitled.

While in jail Dondon accepts some laundry work in order to help his wife who is also doubling as house help during her free time as part-time job to keep both ends meet to survive their children’s day-to-day expenses and education.

In our telephone conversation with Dondon, the father of two is very keen on getting his children’s education secured before he is executed. As a prisoner on death row, this is a very daunting task for an OFW, whose predicament was brought only by his instinct to survive against a sexual assault that happened eight years ago.

KGS believes that during the 2000 tragic incident, Dondon has defended himself from his aggressor that resulted on the untimely death of his attacker.

“PLEASE HELP ME FIND A PERSON PO NA MAGPI-FINANCE SA EDUCATION NG 2 KIDS KO." This was his appeal to the media that Dondon repeated several times when KGS talked to him recently.

With the present economic crises in the Philippines , it would be hard to find an individual who would help his children’s education. Except for OWWA.

With the kind approval of the Board we would like to request you to grant a special exemption to the children of Rodelio Lanuza.

During our annual general assembly held this month in Riyadh , KGS adapted the call of Dondon for his children’s education.

During that event, Labor Attaché Resty dela Fuente told our 24-year old organization that POLO Riyadh is one with KGS in our call to ask the OWWA Board to provide scholarship to Dondon Lanuza’s children in Cavite .

We will also call other migrant organizations all over the world to join us in our request to the OWWA Board of Directors about this matter.

(Here) is the article written in bulatlat.com about Dondon Lanuza.

Thank you for your time reading our request and we look forward to your favorable reply on this matter.

Respectfully,

(Signed) Edgar C. Cadano
Secretary General
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Cellphone number: (00966) 508186919
kapatid_ksa@yahoo.com