Hold ng agency ang aking mga papeles - Agency is holding my papers

Ryan Gonzales
is a seaman in the Philippines

Atty. tanong ko lang po, ako po ay isang seaman bumaba po ako noong October 2013 tapos nag expired na po ang aking u.s. visa. So noong January 2014 nagparenew na ako ng aking U.S. visa pero ang usapan ako muna ang magbabayad ng cost ng u.s. visa which is P7,200. Kapag meron ng line up at malapit ng umalis pwedeng ng irefund sa agency basta ipakita lang ang resibo. Binayaran ko po ang halaga ng U.S. visa. Ngayon po inabot na ako ng 1 month ng wala pang line up so kailangan ko na pong sumakay dahil wala na akong perang pantutustos ko sa pangangailangan ng pamilya ko nag decide n po akong mag-apply muna sa ibang kumpanya or agency swerte namang natanggap ako sa inaplayan ko at pinapakuha ang mga original documents ko sa aking agency. Nung magwiwithdraw na po ako ng aking mga dokomento ayaw po nila akong i clearance at hinold ang papeles ko dahil sila daw po ang nag process ng u.s.visa ko at ginamit ko sila as agent. Sabi ko po ako po ang nagbayad ng cost ng u.s. visa at hindi pa nare-fund ng agency tinanong ko po sila kung my obligasyon ako sa pag proseso at babayaran ko nalang mai release lang nila sabi po naman nila wala naman dw po kausapin ko nalang daw ang crewing manager. Nung kinausap ko po ang crewing manager ayaw nya akong i clear gusto nya sumakay muna ako sa kanila nag decide na po ako na ayaw ko na sa kanila at lilipat na pero kahit anung pakiusap ko at pagmamakaawa na ma release n ang mga dokomento ko at makapag apply na sa ibang agency para naman magkatrabaho na ako pra sa aking pamilya eh hinold pa rin nila 2 weeks akong nagpapabalik-balik sa opisina nakikiusap at nagmamakaawa pero wala pa rin. Good record naman po ako sa company bago bumaba at ayon sa kanila wala naman n akong obligasyon n babayaran maliban duon sa u.s. visa na sila ang nagprocess. Ngayon po tanong ko po kung may karapatan po ba sila na pigilan akong makapagtrabaho sa ibang agency at anu-anu ang mga karapatan ko? Sino ang pwede kong lapitan pra mapilitan silang i clear ako.. Pwede po ba sa nbi? or sa poea? Sana po mabigyan nyo ako ng advice..salamat po!



Translation: I am a seaman who just finished my contract last October 2013. My U.S. visa is now expired. So last January 2014, I had my visa renewed. Our agreement with my agency was that I would first pay for the visa processing fees, which is 7,200. The agency told me that once there is a new contract assignment, I can show the receipt for visa processing payment. After one month, the agency still had no new assignment, so I had to try and apply with another agency, since I have to feed my family. Good thing that I was accepted by this new agency. But when I asked my old agency for my original documents/papers, they refused to give it to me. They told me that they processed my U.S. visa papers and I had used them as agent. I told them that I had paid for the U.S. visa. I told them that if there are other processing fees, I can pay them, just so that they can release my papers. They asked me to talk to the crewing manager. The crewing manager told me that I should first work for them. I decided then that I do not want to work with them anymore. I asked and begged for them to release my documents so that i could apply with another agency, so that I could support my family, but they still refused. I have a good record with my old company. Do I have the right to work for another agency if I want to? What are my rights? Who should I go to to ask for assistance? NBI? POEA?



About the author

Ryan Gonzales

Profession: seaman
Philippines , aklan

 

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Adelaimar C Arias-Jose
is a Legal expert in the Philippines
Ang pinaka magandang gawin mo sa ngayon ay humingi ka ng tulong sa isang abogado upang gumawa ng demand letter. Ilagay ninyo doon kung ano ang nangyari at maglakip ka ng photocopy noong resibo na iyong binayaran para sa renewal ng iyong US Visa. Sa pamamagitan nito, makikita nilang wala silang dahilan na ikaw ay hindi bigyan ng clearance at hindi ibigay sa iyo ang iyong mga dokumento.
Bibigyan ninyo ang manning agency ng 2 araw mula sa pagkakatanggap nila ng iyong deman letter para ikaw ay i-clear at ibigay sa iyo ang iyong mga documento. Pag wala pa silang aksiyon, iyon na ang panahon na sila ay iyong i-habla sa POEA.

Hindi mo naman kailangang magbayad ng abogado. Pumunta ka lang sa pinakamalapit na Public Attorney's Office at maaari ka nilang tulungan sa bagay na iyan. Kung hindi naman, at kung malapit ka sa UP Diliman, pumunta ka sa first floor ng Malcolm Hall. Ito ang UP College of Law Office of Legal Aid (OLA) maaari ka rin nilang tulungan. O kaya, mas maigi ay kumuha ka ng abogadong ang practice ay talagang sa POEA at nang makasiguro kang alam niya ang pasikut-sikot sa POEA.

Sanay' maayos na ang gusot na ito sa iyong mga papeles at nang ikaw ay makasampa na muli sa barko. Good luck to you! God bless you.
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