OFW stabbed, forced to drink acid in Saudi

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipina household service worker (HSW) in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia who was found in her employer’s kitchen was rushed to a hospital but died due to acid burns and stab wounds, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

“Embassy representatives met with the police together with the attending physician, who said that it is impossible for the Filipina to have committed suicide by stabbing herself and ingesting the acid at the same time. The medical staff purportedly said that the Filipina’s internal organs could not sustain the acid ingestion, which caused her death,” the DFA said.

Citing a report of the Philippine embassy in Saudi Arabia, the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was found in the kitchen of her employer’s residence with knife wounds in her neck, abdomen and wrist, as well as acid burns in her mouth area, arms and legs.

She was taken to the King Fahd Hospital on Sept. 8 by the Red Crescent after she was found in the kitchen. Reportedly, a nearly empty container of sulfuric acid was taken from the scene.

According to Third Secretary and Vice Consul Paulo Saret, the embassy is closely coordinating with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to make strong representations with the Saudi authorities for the thorough investigation of the case, and if warranted, for the filing of the necessary criminal charges against the culprit.

Upon investigation by the POLO, the Filipina was deployed by PRA Solidworks Manpower Resources & Promotion on May 31 supposedly as a nursing aide, only to find herself working as an HSW.

The DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) is also coordinating with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for the repatriation of the Filipina’s remains and extension of other assistance. It is also locating the next of kin to inform them of the incident.

The DFA-OUMWA and the embassy have also requested the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) to put PRA Solidworks’ deployment on hold, in light of its contract violation.

An alliance of Filipino migrant rights group earlier said an OFW was rushed to a hospital in Dammam but died.

Receiving reports from its chapter in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia, Migrante said a female OFW was brought in King Fahd Hospital in Dammam.

John Leonard Monterona, quoting reports from Migrante-Al Khobar, said the female OFW was brought by a Saudi national to King Fahd Hospital in Dammam still alive, but after a few minutes was pronounced dead by attending physicians.

“Based on the initial reports, the female OFW victim has several stab wounds on different parts of her body and poisonous acid in her mouth has been noticed which may be the causes of death,” Monterona said.

He reiterated their call to President Aquno to fulfill his promise to order all concerned government agencies to immediately attend to OFW concerns.

“Until now no protection mechanism and services have been crafted in collaboration with the host receiving governments, especially in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, where there are rampant cases of OFW abuses, maltreatment and labor malpractices,” Monterona said. –Pia Lee Brago (The Philippine Star)