5 Filipina domestic helpers 'abused' in Saudi Arabia

Five Filipina domestic helpers complained that they were allegedly abused by their employer, a former general in Saudi Arabia. According to a report of JP Soriano on "24 Oras" on Thursday, even the wife and children of the former officer have abused the Filipina workers. "Pinagsisipa po ako sa ari ng ilang beses. Hindi ko po alam kung ano po'ng dahilan," Ely Mae said. (I was kicked in my private part several times. I do not know for what reason.) Aside from abuse, Analyn said the employer even forced her to seal drugs. "Hindi ko po sukat akalain na 'yong magiging trabaho ko doon ay isa pala akong tagabalot ng droga niya at 'pag hindi po ako sumunod, sinasabunutan niya at susunugin ng sigarilyo," she said. (I never thought that my work there would include packing illegal drugs and that if I do not follow the instruction, they pull my hair and burn me with a cigarette.) The women then decided to take a video of their employer's son while using drugs and used it as a leverage so that they will not hurt them again. The employer then sent the women to the labor office in Riyadh and gave each of them P150,000. The women raised the concern that there are other workers who took their place and that they might suffer the same fate. "There are isolated cases involving cases like this but the (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) POLOs are addressing these issues by ensuring through verification process that only compliant and qualified employers will be selected," Philippine Overseas Employment Administration administrator Bernard Olalia said. GMA News already reached out to the recruitment agencies of the Filipinas but they has yet to respond as of posting time. -- Ma. Angelica Garcia/BAP, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more