MANILA, 10 June 2004 — Two domestic workers who had recently returned from Lebanon called for the immediate termination of labor attaché Alicia Santos who has recently been transferred from Beirut to Rome, Italy.

The two, Joanne Penaflorida and Raquel Villarina, bravely faced the media and amid tears recounted their experiences in the hands of Santos and her “accomplice”, Welfare Officer Mila Pena.

At a press conference arranged by the Alliance of Migrant Workers and Advocates (AMEND), the two recounted how they had almost been included in the OFWs who came home from Lebanon in coffins, Louella Montenegro, Catherine Bautista and Luz Pacuran.

Villarina had the most recent horror story as she had just returned to the country last April after a four-month stint in Beirut and after braving two abusive employers and an abusive employment agency there.

But the more weighty condemnation came from Penaflorida, who claimed Santos told her it was actually her fault for going to Lebanon in the first place. She first met Santos when she complained about her employer who repeatedly maltreated her.

Penaflorida said she was originally recruited as a tutor, and said that she had signed a contract to that effect. She was made to work as a domestic helper and “the $200 salary they promised me was never given.”

She said she stood her ground and stayed with her employer for eight months, after which she sought refuge at the embassy because of the abuse.

At the embassy, Joanne said, “There was practically nothing to eat and the embassy staff were driving around in luxury cars!” She and other runaways who had sought refuge at the embassy were reduced to begging from fellow Filipinos during Sundays just to be able to survive.

Penaflorida said this went on for nearly three months, after which she was able to return to the Philippines. But just before her return, Joanne said she had a chance to talk with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on the telephone.

She narrated her case and asked for help. The president asked her to call Santos or the OWWA Welfare Officer in Lebanon, Mila Pe?a, to the phone. Pe?a abruptly took the phone from Penaflorida, who did not get to speak with the president again.

After the call, Santos summoned her and told her, “I don’t care what that Gloria Arroyo says. I am a good friend of Labor Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas.”

Penaflorida said she was eventually able to return to the Philippines with the help of her fiancé, and not the government.