PLACEWELL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES CORP. vs.

CAMOTE Case Digest

PLACEWELL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES CORP. vs. CAMOTEG.R. No. 169973, June 26,
2006FACTS:
Petitioner Placewell International Services Corporation (PISC) deployed respondent IreneoB. Camote to
work as building carpenter for SAAD Trading and Contracting Co. (SAAD) at theKingdom of Saudi Arabia
(KSA) for a contract duration of two years, with a corresponding salary ofUS$370.00 per month. At the
job site, respondent was allegedly found incompetent by his foreignemployer; thus the latter decided to
terminate his services. However, respondent pleaded for hisretention and consented to accept a lower
salary of SR 800.00 per month. Thus, SAAD retainedrespondent until his return to the Philippines two
years after.

On November 27, 2001, respondent filed a sworn Complaint for monetary claims against
petitioneralleging that when he arrived at the job site, he and his fellow Filipino workers were required to
signanother employment contract written in Arabic under the constraints of losing their jobs if theyrefused; that for
the entire duration of the new contract, he received only SR 590.00 per month; thathe was not given his overtime
pay despite rendering nine hours of work everyday; that he and hisco-workers sought assistance from the Philippine
Embassy but they did not succeed in pursuingtheir cause of action because of difficulties in communication.