RIYADH, 31 May 2008 — A maid from the Philippines who was allegedly held hostage by her employer and raped by four men on May 19, 2007 in Qatif, was sent back home following her withdrawal of the allegations in a written statement, Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Antonio Villamor told Arab News yesterday.

The Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), whose name is being withheld due to the nature of the case, had allegedly stated that she did this to facilitate her immediate return to her family in the Philippines.

In a written statement to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, she wrote that the allegations were fabricated and mere products of her “imagination.”

The OFW acknowledged her receipt of full payment of the salaries due to her amounting to SR6,700, and thanked the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia for its assistance, according to the DFA.

On receiving instructions from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Villamor immediately dispatched a consular officer and an interpreter to Qatif, near Alkhobar, to investigate the case.

“The Qatif Police summoned the employer on May 26 to present the OFW and shed light on the case,” Villamor said.

“The employer agreed to let the OFW leave and to shoulder the repatriation costs.”

In a note to Villamor dated May 28, the OFW reiterated her thanks for the embassy’s facilitation of her repatriation.

She informed the ambassador that her employer gave her an additional 4,250 riyals to cover her travel expenses.

The OFW arrived in Manila on Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo has commended Villamor and his staff for the swift and full attention and action they accorded to the case of the OFW.

The case of the OFW was brought to the attention by Sen. Loren Legarda who sought President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s immediate action on the alleged rape case and the murder of another Filipino domestic helper in Kuwait.

Villamor said that there is a workforce of 1.2 million in the Kingdom with a sizable number of domestic workers.

“We do not get many complaints from the employers of our domestic workers since the OFWs know their job well and they are sent here after adequate training given for their respective vocations,” the ambassador added.