A lawmaker called on the Philippine government to conduct a parliamentary visit to Saudi Arabia following reports of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was forced to drink bleach by her employer.
Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Emmi de Jesus, in a statement, said the case of Agnes Mancilla adds to the stories of plight of OFWs in the Arab land.
“This glaring case of abuse against Mancilla bolsters the House resolution to conduct a parliamentary visit and assessment of government assistance to OFWs in the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia as contained in House Resolution 625 which Gabriela filed,” she said.
“Dapat nang mahinto ang ganitong di-makataong pagtrato sa ating mga kababayan sa ibang bansa,” the woman lawmaker added.
De Jesus also said that the labor agreement between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia must be reviewed and that adding more local jobs to avoid cases of abuse towards Filipino migrant workers should be a priority.
Mancilla is currently recuperating in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in Saudi Arabia after she was allegedly forced to drink bleach by her employer.
Mancilla, a 36-year-old household service worker from Infanta, Quezon, has been admitted to the King Fahad Central Hospital in Jizan, Saudi Arabia after the incident.
Fellow OFWs rushed Mancilla to the hospital after they found her unconscious on April 2.
The Pinay worker has undergone laparotomy to get the bleach out of her liver. Doctors also found burns on Mancilla’s back.
Mancilla’s employer also bit her when she made mistakes. The OFW was also forced to work long hours with little food.
The OFW’s woman employer is now with authorities.
