MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday said their counterparts in Saudi Arabia have asked for more time to process the unpaid wages of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) there and so they could meet the "right" officials.

• Saudi gov't to shoulder unpaid wages of OFWs since 2015

In a Palace briefing, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople said the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, their counterpart in Saudi, were supposedly not the right agency for the processing of claims.

They were supposed to meet them in December.

"So they wanted time for certain arrangements to be made so that we will be able to meet with the right person in the Office of the Crown Prince so as of yesterday, they promised that they will give us the itinerary and schedule for the Saudi trip within the week," Ople told reporters, refusing to disclose more information on the trip.

Video from RTVM

She added that Pinoy workers with back claims were expecting to get their wages as early as December, given some unverified information they allegedly got on social media.

This was why she said she wanted to be "prudent" in releasing more details about this for now, given that the issue is "emotionally-charged."

She assured the OFWs however, that the topic on their back wages is on top of their agenda.

• Saudi gov't to shoulder unpaid wages of OFWs since 2015

"The ball kasi is really in Saudi Arabia's court eh. So I want to be quite... responsible. Wala akong sasabihin about it, until we finally meet in Saudi Arabia with the officials that are tasked to work this out with us," she said.

"Until then, hindi muna kami magbibigay ng specifics out of respect na rin sa kakausapin sa Saudi Arabia."

The Saudi government last year agreed to pay the wages of OFWs who have yet to receive their salaries from bankrupt Saudi-based employers since 2015.

Ople had said Saudi would "set aside 2 billion Riyals to help our displaced workers."

The funds will cover workers from Saudi OGer, MMG, the Bin Laden group, and other construction companies that declared bankruptcy in 2015 and in 2016, the agency said.

DMW Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said a technical working group has been formed on the issue.