U.S official refuses to help u.s citizen

A few days ago Dumaguete city sent a team of government employees to the American Consular Agency in Lahug, Cebu City to turn over an American national in the person of Robert Walter Oest of 16 Ritter St., PMP 3517, San Rafael, California 94912, USA.

The team was composed of three police officers from the PNP Tourist Police Unit – PO2 Roque Marfa Paragsa, PO2 Cherry Bil Enduna Bulabon, and PO1 Rowena Dizon Alfonso - and Encarnita Kadile, a social worker from the City Social Welfare & Development Office.

The 72-year-old US citizen was discovered in Dumaguete on March 10, 2016 by tourist police officers, seemingly abandoned and penniless resulting to his begging in the streets for food. According to collateral information generated by the City Social Welfare office, Oest is an American pensioner but had “lost his ATM card and has no money to contact his depository bank in the US”. This homeless American had been staying at the Press Club building along Rizal Boulevard for more than a month now, and the City could no longer sustain his daily needs, care, and safety.

On April 5, 2016, I called a meeting with Immigration Officer Peter Bueno, PNP Tourist Police Unit Chief P/Insp Nathaniel Rubia, CSWD Officer Carola Alquero with her social workers, and Task Force SAGARR deputy ground commander Eddie Oira to address the problem on this foreign national. After brainstorming and exchanging notes, we decided to turn-over the Mr. Oest to the Consular agent and head of Mission of the American Consular Agency in Cebu.

And so armed with an Office Order, the City Hall team accompanied Mr. Oest to Cebu City on April 19, 2016 to turn him over to Consular Agent Glenn Ivan Loop. Mr. Oest’s case was discussed to Mr. Loop, who was provided all the necessary information such as Incident Report, Mental Status Examination Report by psychiatrist Dr. Glenda Basubas of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, medical certificate from City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Sarah Talla, and my endorsement.US official refuses to help US citizen

 

It's certainly a pretty poor situation for this poor guy. Even the Brit embassy are more helpful than this. If this guy has family at home why couldn't they contact them or atleast help sort out his banking problem and get him straight.

 

Why is it the US taxpayer's problem that this guy didn't come prepared or have backup plans? It's called the US State Department, not the US Babysitting Department. I'm not saying the Embassy shouldn't have done something for the guy but the part where he says "yet, here comes their own citizen, poor and sickly, and they wouldn't extend him any help"......that freakin' rich! Please do tell, what is it the Philippines does for their "poor and sickly"? Pot, meet kettle.

Really now? That's the only problem going on here? So they went through all this trouble (and expense) to take the guy all over Dumaguete to different government offices and appointments at hospitals and then drove him to Cebu when all he needed was to call his bank? I call BS! The entire story is not being told here. I'm sure the US Consulate saw through that story as well. If the guy is not going to be honest about his situation then he does not deserve any help.

Who would have thunk it, someone wants to get paid. What happened to all that "The bible says: Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. (1 John 3:18)" you were talking about in the very first sentence of the article go? Guess there isn't all that much love for this "poor and sickly" expat when there is no money involved.

So, what exactly was it they were "denied"? And why would their pay be determined by any actions of the US Consulate did or did not take for this expat? I call BS again.

I'm curious if this "brainstorming" session included any Google searches or thoughts about reaching out to an expat group/website (like this one). I suspect the results would have been much different if either of those things had been done.

Emergency Financial Assistance for U.S. Citizens Abroad
"Destitute U.S. citizens in need of help overseas should contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at (888) 407-4747 (or from overseas +1 202-501-4444), for information about other assistance options and eligibility requirements."

I'm curious if anyone called this number before running this guy all the way to Cebu? There is absolutely no mention of this in the article.

How about contacting the US Embassy Warden in Dumaguete? Didn't see his name mentioned once in the article either.


If all the guy really needs to do is call his bank to get a new card send me a PM and I'll meet the guy in Dumaguete and let him use my phone to call his bank. Problem solved.