6 January 2006 – Ambassador Bahnarim A. Guinomla of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that “no Filipino was among the casualties in a building that collapsed in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city.”

Ambassador Guinomla said he spoke with Dr. Ali Escaller, the head of the Philippine medical team attending to the health of Filipino pilgrims, who said “the Filipino haj pilgrims were all safe as the accident happened some distance from where the Filipinos are housed.”

Dr. Escaller assured the Ambassador that he will continue liaising with the hospitals to fully ascertain that no Filipinos were among the casualties in the collapsed building.

Ambassador Guinomla reported that the building is close to the Grand Mosque while the Filipinos were housed in separate buildings, some of which were about two kilometers from the Grand Mosque.

The Ambassador has already visited the buildings where the Filipino pilgrims are housed.  During his last visit on 1 January 2006, Ambassador Guinomla met the amir ul-haj, Governor Datu Pax Mangudadatu, officials of the Office of Muslim Affairs and pilgrim leaders in order to ensure maximum comfort for over 3,000 haj pilgrims from the Philippines.

Ambassador Guinomla assured the Department that he will continue to monitor the well-being of the Filipino haj pilgrims and report to the Department any new developments.  END