DFA eyes lodging protest over Pinay 'drug mules' in Bali

Philippine officials in Indonesia are considering filing a protest over the alleged unfair treatment of two Filipina tourists who were subjected to a bag and body search allegedly without justification after being suspected of being drug mules in Indonesia. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday the two women went to Bali as tourists but were singled out from the immigration line and ushered into the immigration office. The women were subjected to a bag and body search allegedly without justification, allegedly because they were suspected to be drug mules. The DFA said it is ready to provide assistance to the two Filipinas and admired their courage in recalling their ordeal. "The Embassy takes these allegations seriously, and the Embassy is verifying if there is basis to file a protest," the DFA said in a news release posted on its website Monday. "We admire the two Filipinas' courage in relating their ordeal, and we ask them to touch base with the embassy or the DFA, so the incident could be further documented. This will form basis for the embassy's actions," it added. After one-and-a-half hours at the immigration office, the two Filipinas were allowed to leave the airport, where they were surprised to see the hotel driver still waiting for them. "Their hotel driver allegedly told them that he was not surprised that they were the last ones to go out, as Filipinos were usually the last ones to be let out of the immigration line," the DFA said. Only last March, three Filipino drug mules - Sally Villanueva, Elizabeth Batain, and Ramon Credo - were executed in China after being convicted of bringing drugs into China in 2008. - VVP, GMA News