OFW Survives Jail, Neglect of Philippine Government

OFW Survives Jail, Neglect of Philippine Government

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — A teary-eyed Camille, not her real name, 32, stepped out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at last on December 9. She immediately gave her family a tight hug, especially her three children whom she did not see for more than a year. Then, she reached out for her father and greeted him ‘Happy birthday, Tay.” It was her father’s 64th birthday, and he was getting his wish granted as he watched Camille’s homecoming.

“Yes, there were times when I thought I would never make it home,” Camille told Bulatlat.com, “But I know that through God’s will, I would. It might take longer than I hoped but at least I am alive.”

Camille left for Dammam, Saudi Arabia on May 14, 2009 to work as cleaner in a hospital there. But barely three months after arriving, her Bangladeshi co-worker, a certain Mr. Mammon, drugged her unconscious, raped her and got her pregnant as a result. The Bangladeshi co-worker is a driver tasked to do errands for the hospital staff, including buying their snacks for them while they work.

Sometime in September 2009, the Bangladeshi driver did not return with Camille’s “usual softdrinks,” so she asked instead if she could have a cup of tea. “I did not suspect that he put a sleeping tablet in it because another female co-worker handed me the tea,” Camille said.

When she woke up later and realized what happened, Camille said she was very afraid, especially of what her three children and husband back home might think. She was both afraid and ashamed of what had happened. She could not bring herself to tell her other co-workers about it. Upon discovering that she was pregnant, though, Camille’s employer refused to believe that she was raped. They accused Camille of having an extramarital affair and sent her to jail.

Government Neglect

All throughout her imprisonment, Camille said, no embassy official visited her nor asked her side of the story. “I went to court hearings five times but they (Philippine embassy officials) did not attend,” Camille said. “I was clueless about what was going on because the court did not give me an interpreter.” Being the only Filipino in their prison cell, Camille devoted most of her time to learning how to speak Arabic, not only to communicate with others but to have an idea of what was transpiring in her trial. But she was denied the opportunity to speak – she was asked only if she has a husband in the Philippines.

The court finally sentenced her with 11 months of imprisonment and 150 lashes for a crime she did not commit. She also did not have a single riyal for her daily needs. The Dammam local government, fortunately, allocates five riyals a day for every jailed person. The amount, according to Camille, could barely pay for her meals. For other necessities such as soap and shampoo, Camille had to sell her belongings to the police just to get by..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2010/12/11/ofw-survives-jail-neglect-of-philippine-government/