Kota Kinabalu: Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles C. Jose said the embassy is coordinating with the Philippine Inter-Agency Task Group for funds to meet the RT-PCR tests of Filipino deportees.
The Task Group handles arrangements related to the transfer of Filipino deportees from the Sabah Immigration Depots to Zamboanga City.
Charles said the embassy has informed the Sabah Immigration Department that they are working on the logistical arrangements, including funding for the RT-PCR test.
“Furthermore, the Embassy is preparing for the resumption of transfers (repatriation) as soon as all the arrangements are finalised,” he said, in response to a Daily Express report “Filipino Embassy Says No Money” (Feb. 28).
Sabah Immigration Department Director SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof lauded the coordination of the Embassy and the Inter-Agency Task Group on its efforts to look for the needed funds.
“Surely it will greatly help the affected Filipinos in Sabah,” she said. Saleha earlier suggested to the Embassy to seek help from relatives of Filipino deportees to bear the cost of Covid-19 screening test (RT-PCR) should the need arise.
The suggestion was mentioned in a letter addressed to Charles on Feb. 25.
She said the measure would prevent further delays in the resumption of repatriation exercises for Filipino deportees which has been temporarily suspended due to the existing threat of the coronavirus pandemic and Omircon variant.
Statistics shows that there are 5,809 Filipinos detained at the immigration depots in Sabah, she added.
Saleha said her department is ready to repatriate 2,000 Filipinos who are fully vaccinated and with clean medical bills and medically certified safe to travel to their country of origin.
“We are more than ready to extend whatever assistance to the Philippine Embassy so that their countrymen who violated our immigration travel requirements will be able to return home without further delay.”
Saleha said she has requested assistance from private clinics in Sandakan to provide the required medical screening test at a very reasonable rate .
Saleha said families of deportees would make direct payment to the recommended clinic.
The screening process would be carried out at the Sandakan immigration temporary depot and an embassy representative would be invited to observe, witness and assist in the exercise, she said.
“I hope our proposal will receive positive response from the Philippine Embassy when the need arises.
“We are here to help the embassy and their countrymen in the name of ‘love thy neighbour’ and for humanitarian reasons including preserving good bilateral relationships between the two neighbouring borders,” she opined.
On the part of the deportees, it was learned that many including their relatives are willing to shoulder the cost of RT-PCR test, if needed.
“We want deportees sent home because many had long been detained due to cancellation of the deportation exercise since middle of last year,” the relatives stressed.
