OFW scalded by Saudi employer in 2014 finally coming home —solon
The Filipina domestic worker who was scalded by her employer in Saudi Arabia in 2014 will soon be reunited with her family in the Philippines, ACTS OFW party-list Representative John Bertiz III announced Wednesday.
In a press conference, Bertiz said that he received a phone call earlier in the day from Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Manila Dr. Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Bussairy informing him that Pahima Alagasi can already leave Riyadh and "come home anytime."
“Dr. Al-Bussairy notified me that the retaliatory cases filed by the employer against Pahima have been resolved through the intercession of Saudi Prince and Interior Minister Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif soon after his official visit to the President in Malacañang,” he said.
Alagasi, 26, is a household service worker from Pikit, North Cotabato, who sustained burns after her female employer in Riyadh allegedly poured boiling water on her.
Alagasi, who was 22 when the incident happened, suffered second-degree burn injuries on her neck, a large part of her back, and on her thighs due to the incident. It took at least three hours before her employer allowed her to seek treatment.
Bertiz said Alagasi escaped from her employer while undergoing treatment for her burn injuries at the Raseel Medical Center, and sought refuge at a Philippine Embassy shelter in Riyadh.
"[Alagasi] filed a complaint against her employer but the case was dismissed by a Saudi court,” Bertiz said.
“The employer retaliated with a false accusation charge plus a claim for US$66,000 (250,000 Saudi riyal) in damages against Pahima. The charge was dismissed by a Saudi judge, but the employer elevated the case to the appeals court,” Bertiz said.
This case, Bertiz said, prevented Alagasi from being repatriated for almost four years. The employer also filed an absconding case against the Filipina domestic worker.
The lawmaker attributed to President Rodrigo Duterte the repatriation of Alagasi. He said the President brought up her case to the Saudi Prince when he paid a courtesy visit to Malacanang on March 19.
"We thank President Duterte and Crown Prince Saud bin Naif for intervening in this case. Without their help, Pahima’s dream of seeing her children would have been impossible," Bertiz said.
"The false accusation and absconding cases filed by the employer against her have been resolved. She has been cleared to leave Riyadh, and we intend to bring her home right away,” he added.
Susan Ople of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center & Training Institute, which helped in the case of Alagasi, also thanked Duterte for the development.
"Kung hindi nagkaroon ng bilateral visit at kung hindi rin mismong ang pangulo natin ang humiling na palayain na, hayaan nang makauwi si Pahima, malamang hanggang ngayon at sa mga susunod na taon, nandun pa rin si Pahima," she said.
"This is, I think, a very turning point. It shows yung commitment ng Saudi government to help our workers and we are very grateful lalo na sa ating Pangulo," she added.
Ople said she also talked with the provincial government of North Cotabato to send a social worker to Alagasi's family in Pikit town to assist them as the Filipina domestic worker returns home. —KBK, GMA News
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