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177 haj pilgrims to be relocated to Indonesian Embassy in Manila
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Indonesians carrying Philippine passports wait after being intercepted by immigration authorities on Friday Aug. 19 at Manila Airport before boarding their scheduled flight to Saudi Arabia to go on the haj. Philippine officials said the 177 Indonesian passengers' identities were uncovered because they could not speak any Philippine language or dialect and could only converse in English. (Bureau of Immigration/via AP)
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request to move detained Indonesian haj pilgrim out of a Philippine immigration detention center has been granted by local authorities, with all 177 people expected to be relocated to the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, an official has confirmed.
"The relocation would begin Friday after the Indonesian Embassy was handed a letter of guarantee," the Foreign Ministry's director for the protection of Indonesian nationals and entities abroad, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said in a statement received by The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Poor conditions at the detention center had embassy officials pushing for a move to the Philippine Justice Ministry, a request which was conditionally granted.
Officials from the Philippine Justice Ministry are expected to pay a visit to the embassy on Tuesday, Iqbal further said in the statement, adding that the haj pilgrims were not yet allowed to return to Indonesia until all legal processes had been concluded.
The verification process is still ongoing with the aim of obtaining all the necessary information for the legal proceedings in Manila, where several of the detainees are expected to testify as witnesses in a future court hearing. In support, the Foreign Ministry acknowledged that both countries had a common interest to prevent similar illegal practices happening in future.
At the same time, Jakarta has reiterated that the pilgrims were victims of a scam orchestrated by illegal travel agencies and are continuing efforts for their immediate return. (bbn)
