19 Pinay hotel workers locked up in UAE villa; 3 Indians face charges

Three Indian men were charged before a United Arab Emirates court for allegedly locking up 19 Filipina hotel workers in a villa and keeping them from going out during their free time.

Prosecutors accused the three of breaching the Filipinas’ rights and freedom by unlawfully locking them up for a month, UAE site Gulf News reported Wednesday.

Facing the charges were a 41-year-old electrician; a 61-year-old supervisor; and a 54-year-old cook, who were accused of keeping the Filipinas cooped in the employees’ residence in Al Mutainah.

The 19 Filipinas worked as receptionists, housekeepers, cleaners and maids at the hotel, prosecution records showed. They were present at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

But the three accused pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. They are out on bail.

However, prosecution records said the three admitted locking up the women to "protect" them from possible harassment by bachelors in the area.

Their lawyer asked presiding judge Mohammad Jamal to adjourn the case to present his defense when the court reconvenes on November 24.

Testimonies

Prosecutors said the women would be locked inside the villa once they finished work, and would not be released until the next day.

Gulf News quoted one of the Filipinas, a 30-year-old housekeeper, as saying she had worked at the hotel in Al Muraqqabat for two years with a Dh600 salary.

She said that since she started, she was told by senior workers that it was "against the hotel’s policy to go out of the residence during free time or after work or on holidays."

"We were forced to agree because we had no other choice and we were forced also to be obedient to earn a living. However they used to take us out one day a month to go shopping under the supervision of one of the company’s supervisors and we used to be kept under surveillance… even during official holidays we remained confined," she said.

Also, she said no one treated the Filipinas badly during the confinement period.

Another Filipina, a 28-year-old housekeeper, said she was hired for Dh1,500. But when she joined work, her salary was reduced to Dh700.

She said that When she questioned the low pay, she was told by management that "they had to deduct the cost of my plane ticket, visa and Emirates ID.” — LBG, GMA News

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