“We deplore the compromising act of Filipino Welfare Officer Nestor Burayag over the case of the victim who had complained of rape against her supervisor,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator, told Arab News.
Monterona called on Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of the OWWA (Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration) to recall Burayag. The victim had been identified by the pseudonym Sofia in an earlier Arab News report.
Sofia, who is still working at a manpower supply company, claimed that in September 2010 she was sexually abused by her manager. When she complained to her company, she said she was not properly attended to.
“Instead, she claimed that she was harassed and beaten by her Filipino supervisor, Susan Picaso, who is an administrator at the company. Luckily, Sofia got my mobile number and called me to seek assistance,” Monterona said.
He said that he immediately alerted the POLO-OWWA (Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration) in Riyadh and asked that assistance be provided to Sofia, including the filing of an appropriate action against the accused abusers.
Monterona added that he was surprised when Sofia issued a statement weeks later, allegedly under coaching by POLO-OWWA officials, that she won't be filing a case against the suspect if her demands for reparations are met.
“However, all the conditions have not been fulfilled. She was merely transferred by her company to another work site. Sofia is now losing hope and believes that her case will end nowhere. Thus, she's considering returning to the Philippines to rejoin her family,” Monterona said. “Sofia is a victim not only of sexual abuse but also of neglect and coverup by inept officials.”
