DFA: Distressed OFW in KSA rescued

A distressed overseas Filipino worker has been rescued from Abha in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after being abused by her employer, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The DFA cited a report from the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah saying the employer also withheld the Filipina's salary for 14 months. "The Filipina was employed as a household service worker and was subjected to abuse from her employer and her employer's relatives. Her employer also withheld her salary for 14 months," the DFA said. It said the Philippine Consulate General had dispatched a team to travel to Abha to ascertain the Filipina's condition and bring her to safety. Four days into the operation, the team had rescued the distressed OFW and brought her to the Philippine Embassy's halfway house in Riyadh. Her repatriation is currently being arranged, the DFA said. The DFA's Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs and the Consulate General are now hiring a lawyer who will assist in the investigation and eventual prosecution of the employer and abusers of the Filipina. — LBG, GMANews.TV