Pinay sa Saudi, comatose matapos gahasain umano ng amo

Comatose ngayon sa isang ospital sa Saudi Arabia ang isang Pinay matapos
umanong gahasain ng sariling amo. Nagpa-Patrol, Ron Gagalac. TV Patrol,
Miyerkules, Agosto 17, 2016

DFA to appeal case of OFW on death row in UAE

Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Feb 10 2017 05:14 PM

MANILA A Filipina migrant worker slapped with a death sentence in 2015 in

the United Arab Emirates still has time to appeal her case, the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

"Mahaba pa yung legal process at patuloy pa rin tayong umaasa na mao-

overrule itong death penalty," DFA Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary
Charles Jose said.

READ: Pamilya ng OFW na nasa death row sa Dubai, humihingi ng tulong kay
Duterte

The last hearing before the UAE Court of Appeals on Jennifer Dalquezs case
was conducted early this month. The decision is expected to come out in
February 27.

If the ruling remains a "guilty" verdict, the decision can still be elevated to
the UAE Supreme court.

Dalquez was jailed in 2014 for killing her Arab employer who tried to rape
her.

The DFA data on 71 death convicts, Jose said, was a combination of those
who were already convicted with finality, still undergoing trial and those who
have just been charged.

"Depende sa offense, kina-categorize na namin kung potential death

penalty," he said.

Meanwhile, despite the continuous absence of a Philippine ambassador to

the US, Jose said the country's embassy in the United States is still
performing its regular duties as it advises all undocumented in the US to
process their documents.
"Gamitin ang pagkakataon para i-regularize ang kanilang immigration
status... handang tumulong ang ating embahada sa Washington DC at lahat
ng consular offices para tumulong sa kanila kung kailangan," Jose said.

DFA said there are still no reports of undocumented Filipinos being subjected
to round ups by US authorities.

DFA assures government 'relentlessly' assisting jailed OFWs

Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Jan 27 2017 01:59 AM

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured Filipinos on Thursday it is

"relentlessly" assisting jailed overseas workers.
Following Migrante Internationals allegation that the DFA only gives legal
assistance to jailed OFWs 2-3 months after a case has been filed, or once the
decision is out, DFA spokesperson and assistant secretary Charles Jose said
this has not been true in recent years.

The DFA has reformed its program for OFWs, Jose said.

"Mga recent years, basta potential death penalty case, meaning murder o
kaya drugs ay right from the start ay nagha-hire na kami ng lawyer," he said.

(In recent years, whenever there is case that can potentially be accorded a
death penalty, meaning murder or drugs, we hire a lawyer right from the
start.)

Such assistance applies to all countries where OFWs serve, Jose said.

From more than 80 death convicts, there are now only 71 OFWs on death row
due to the efforts of the government in communicating with host countries to
appeal for the death sentences to be commuted to a lower penalty or for
clemency to be given, Jose said.

"Lahat naman ng death penalty cases sinusubaybayan, mino-monitor closely

ng ating embassies yan," he said.

(We closely monitor and follow all death penalty cases.)

Included in the list, he said, is Mary Jane Veloso who is still jailed in
Indonesia. Another Filipino is in death row in Kuwait, but details about the
worker are not available.
The case of Rose Policarpio Dacanay, who is in prison in Saudi Arabia for
allegedly killing her Lebanese employer, is still being heard, Jose said.

Thousands of OFWs remain stranded, unpaid in Saudi Arabia

LONG WAIT. OFWs in Saudi Arabia. File photo by AFP/Fayez Nureldine

MANILA, Philippines 36-year old Julius Camarce braved life as an

overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to provide for
his wife and 5 children living in Iloilo.

Like many other OFWs, Camarce felt leaving the Philippines was his
only choice.

Hindi naman po mataas ang pinag-aralan ko. Diyan po sa Pilipinas,

para maging cost controller, kailangan pang may lisensya ka. Sa Saudi,
basta alam mo work, hindi nila papansinin kung ano man background
mo, Camarce said. (I didn't receive a high education. In the
Philippines, to work as a cost controller, you need a license. In Saudi,
they don't care about your background as long as you know how it's
done.)

He is now on his 9th year in the kingdom and his 2nd year working for
Saudi Oger, a private construction company.

Like many other OFWs, Camarce (R) felt leaving the country was his only choice.

Makikipagsapalaran ako dito, maitaguyod ko lang pamilya ko." (I will

face the challenges here to provide for my family.)
All was going well until the price of crude plummeted to one of its
lowest in the past 12 years, pushing the oil-rich kingdoms government
to cut spending and put up austerity measures.

By 2015, Camarce and his colleagues were already feeling its impact.
According to him, their salaries then were delayed by 2 to 3 months.
Since January 2016, he had stopped receiving even a single cent from
his employer.

This is the same case for all his colleagues who were supposed to
received 5,000 SR and below every month. Those whose salary
amounts to more than 5,000 SR, meanwhile, havent been paid for 9
months now, he said.

The reason remains unclear. "Ang dami nilang dahilan kung bakit hindi
daw kami nakakasahod. Kesyo hindi daw nagbabayad ang gobyerno
ng Saudi, kesyo mismanagement daw, Camarce said.

(They give so many reasons for not giving us our salaries. They say the
government of Saudi is not paying, sometimes they blame
mismanagement.)

Because of this, many of his colleagues have already resigned from

Saudi Oger. Even so, they remain stranded in Saudi because they
cannot afford the airfare and are yet to receive their end-of-service
benefits.

Violent protests

Chaos ensued in the camp as employees started protesting in their

camp, according to Camarce. Some protests turned violent, with
protesters burning company vehicles and vandalizing office properties.

Pinay nurse gets suspended sentence for fatal blood transfusion

mistake
Aaron Lozada, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 10 2017 12:18 AM | Updated as of Feb 10 2017 12:55 AM

A donor gives blood at a National Blood Service center in London. Reuters

file photo

LONDON - A Filipina nurse on Thursday received a suspended 18-month

sentence in England over a blood transfusion mistake that caused the death
of a 76-year-old patient.
Lea Ledesma was found guilty of manslaughter through gross negligence.
Ledesma was working as an intensive care unit nurse at the University
College Hospital.
According to court documents, she caused the transfusion of type AB blood
to a patient with type O blood on May 7, 2014. The patient died later that
evening.
A post-mortem examination of the patient revealed that the death was
caused by the administration of an incompatible unit of blood.
Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith of the Southwark Crown Court suspended
Ledesma's sentence, citing good character and remorse. Her character
references and family's presence at court also contributed to the mitigation
of her sentence.
Ledesma was represented by Anthony David Metzer of Goldsmith Chambers.
Her suspended sentence for two years means that she will undergo
probation.
If she does not break the law during the two-year period and fulfills the
conditions of her probation, the judge may dismiss the prison sentence of
one year and six months.

Pamilya ng OFW na nasa death row sa Dubai, humihingi ng tulong

kay Duterte
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 07 2017 08:26 PM
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Umaapela ng tulong kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte
ang pamilya ng isang overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sa Dubai na si Jennifer
Dalquez.
Ayon sa ina ni Jennifer na si Rajima, nakulong ang anak niya noong
December 12, 2014 at ngayon ay nasa death row matapos umano niyang
mapatay ang Arabong nagtangkang gumahasa sa kanya noong December 8,
2014.
Mas nagpapabigat raw sa loob ni Rajima ang dalawang anak ni Jennifer na
hinahanap ang kanilang ina kaya naman saklolo ang panawagan niya kay
Duterte.
"Mr. President, tulungan niyo po ako. Masakit talaga sa akin. 'Yung mga anak
niya, tanong ng tanong kung kailan siya darating at kung kailan siya uuwi.
Ama din po kayo, alam kong naiintindihan niyo ako," aniya.
Galit naman ang tatay ni Jennifer sa mga Arabong nambabastos sa mga
Pinay workers.
"Masama talaga ang kalooban ko. Walang kasalanan ang anak ko. Self-
defense lang 'yung ginawa niya," aniya.
Humingi na rin ang pamilya ng tulong sa Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration (OWWA) at Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) para hindi
matuloy ang pagbitay kay Jennifer.
"Binigyan na siya ng abogada na nag-aasikaso doon. Nagpapasalamat ako
dahil binigyan nila ng abogado pero mas magpapasalamat ako kung
makakauwi ang anak ko," ani Rajima.
Inaasahang ilalabas ang hatol sa kaso sa darating na Sabado, February 11 at
umaasa ang pamilya nito na makakaligtas sa bitay si Jennifer.

OFW raped by employer dies in Saudi

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Aug 19 2016 03:43 PM | Updated as of Aug 19 2016 06:38 PM
An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Saudi Arabia who was allegedly raped
by her employer has died, an official said.
Filipina Irma Avila Edloy, 35, passed away Friday, Philippine Labor Secretary
Silvestre Bello said over radio dzMM.
Forensic investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of Edloy's death.
Edloy was rushed to King Salman Hospital in Riyadh earlier in the week due
to severe injuries from suspected sexual assault. She lapsed into a coma
soon after arriving at the hospital.
Bello said Edloy had implicated her employer in the assault. Prior to
becoming unconscious, while she did not say outright that her employer
sexually assaulted her, she pointed to her employer when asked by a nurse
who had maltreated her.
According to Iric Arribas, charge d'affaires of the Philippine embassy in Saudi
Arabia, Saudi authorities are verifying whether the Filipina was indeed raped.
They are also investigating if Edloy could have been ill prior to arriving in the
Middle East.
"Iyong rape angle, under investigation [ng mga pulis sa Saudi Arabia].
Allegation pa lang iyan (The rape angle is under investigation by Saudi
Arabian police. That is still an allegation)," Arribas clarified.
"Hindi na siya nagre-respond sa mga tanong [kaya hindi niya ito sinabi].
Tinitingnan pa rin ang anggulo na iyon, at kung ano ang nangyari kay Irma,"
he said.
Edloy arrived in Saudi Arabia in the last week of July. Her employment
agency said that she was first brought to Jeddah by her employer, and was
hospitalized there so she was brought back to Riyadh on August 10 to speak
with Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) officials, who were concerned
for her welfare.
READ: Recruiter suspended after OFW raped in Saudi Arabia
She did not respond to queries, so she was brought to the hospital in Riyadh
to be examined. "Ang gesture lang niya, may sakit siya sa ulo, may
headache," Arribas said.
On August 13, the POLO office got a call from the King Salman Hospital that
Edloy was confined there, and officials visited her on August 14. She was still
conscious, but did not respond verbally to questions.
Edloy was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit on August 17. She
suffered cardiac arrest several times, but doctors were able to revive her,
until she died on August 18, Arribas said.
According to the hospital report read by Arribas on air, Edloy was diagnosed
to have "adult respiratory distress syndrome, bilateral hydronephrosis, active
hydrocephalus, acute renal failure, and hematuria."
This meant that her lungs were inflamed, her kidney was not working
properly, she had fluid in her brain, and blood was present in her urine.
Philippine authorities had first raised suspicions that the OFW was a victim of
sexual assault after initial examinations allegedly showed lacerations in her
private parts, and bruises on her body.

Nurses also said that Edloy's underwear was full of blood when she was first
treated at the hospital.
READ: Pinay sa Saudi, comatose matapos gahasain umano ng amo
Philippine officials in Saudi are working to have her remains brought back to
the country. While it is usual for an OFWs employers and employment
agency to obtain a death certificate and other papers in order for the Saudi
Arabian government to issue an exit permit for remains, the circumstances
surrounding Edloys death have made it necessary for the embassy to secure
these instead.
"Dahil sa anggulo na maaaring rape case [ang kaso ng pagkamatay ni
Edloy], kailangan nang dito sa POLO or embassy side ang gumawa," Arribas
said.
Bello said that they are asking for Saudi Arabia's Minister of Labor for a
thorough investigation into the circumstances behind Edloys injuries and
subsequent death.
Bello added that they will step up efforts to watch after OFWs in the Middle
East.
"Kailangan talaga ng 24-hour monitoring ng mga katayuan ng ating
kababayan dito sa bansa," Bello said.