Aired (March 22, 2025): #ReportersNotebook Election Series - HAMON SA KANDIDATO: INABUSONG BAYANI | Kalunos-lunos ang sinapit ng mga kababayan nating OFW na sina Rieshelyne Olit at Leslie Gay Diaz sa kamay ng kanilang mga amo sa Saudi Arabia. Si Leslie, mga peklat sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng katawan at mga paso ng plantsa sa braso at kamay ang inabot habang paulit-ulit na pananakit naman ang sinapit ni Rieshelyne. Sa pagdami ng ganitong kaso, paano sila mapoprotektahan ng mga nakaupo sa gobyerno?#ReportersNotebook #ReportersNotebookElectionSeries
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FunTranscript
00:00Somebody crazy. You want to die? You want to watch your son die?
00:05No, I don't mean it.
00:07Why would you do that? Why would you do something like this?
00:10Crying and begging.
00:14You let my son go.
00:17This is what you will hear in a recorded video sent by an overseas Filipino worker or OFW to his family in the Philippines.
00:26Crying and begging.
00:31In the video, you will also hear the voice of a man as the woman continues to cry.
00:37You let my son go.
00:42The woman is the victim of abuse and torture by her employer in Saudi Arabia.
00:56How were you then? What did they feel?
00:59I remember everything. There were reports that I was being abused.
01:04I was going home to the Philippines. I was about to die.
01:07The only thing I was afraid of was that I was going to die.
01:11Beatings on various parts of the body and punches to the arms and hands.
01:18This is the video captured by another OFW in the hands of his employer in Saudi Arabia.
01:26There were many. It was more than two years.
01:29It was repeated?
01:30Yes, that's how it was.
01:32Beatings on my arms, beatings on my head, beatings on my eyes, beatings on my tongue, beatings on my back, beatings on my knees, beatings on my legs.
01:47They beat me until I was paralyzed.
01:51But the saddest thing is that his left eye was blinded and he had to be beheaded after being beaten by his employer.
02:01What did the doctors say about your head injury?
02:04It was fractured in the head and in the mouth.
02:10What do you want to happen to your employer who did this to you?
02:16I don't know.
02:20Why is it that our countrymen continue to experience abuse,
02:24violence in other countries,
02:29and how can they be protected against violence?
02:34I don't know.
02:37I don't know.
02:40I don't know.
02:47After more than two years working in the Middle East as a domestic helper,
02:52Leslie Gadeas, 34, returned to the country.
02:58But instead of returning to his home in Basilan,
03:02he was sent to a hospital in Zamboanga City
03:05to treat the wounds on various parts of his body.
03:10Leslie is a victim of the abuse of his partner in Saudi Arabia.
03:16June 2022, when he decided to work in Saudi Arabia as a domestic helper,
03:23his first year in the country was fine.
03:28But in the second year, that's when the abuse of his partner began.
03:34What kind of abuse did you do to him?
03:36When he was planning to go abroad,
03:38that's when the abuse of my partner began.
03:43What kind of abuse did you do to him?
03:45He punched me in the arm.
03:47He hit me in the head.
03:49He stabbed me in the eye.
03:54He burned my tongue.
03:56He stabbed me in the back.
03:58He strangled me.
03:59He pulled my legs.
04:00He dragged me until I was paralyzed.
04:06In two years, how many times did he hurt you in your memory?
04:12A lot. Almost every day.
04:15Leslie's other wounds left a lasting mark on him.
04:25This picture was taken in 2021 before he left for the Middle East.
04:30But now, Leslie is almost unknown.
04:36His head is full of wounds,
04:39so he needed an injection to heal the wounds quickly.
04:43His arms and hands were also severely injured.
04:46The injection was effective.
04:51He also had wounds on his back, chest, and neck
04:54due to the stabbing of a knife.
04:57He also needed an injection to heal his head
05:00after being punched by his boss.
05:04His boss also stabbed his left eye
05:07to make him blind.
05:10What was it that left a lasting mark on your mind
05:13that your boss did that to you?
05:25What did the doctors say about your head injury?
05:33He had a lot on his mind.
05:35What was the cause of Leslie's injury?
05:38Why was he so brutal to you?
05:40I don't know why he did that to me.
05:44It was just a sudden change.
05:46It started when I was 2 years old.
05:51Due to the abuse of his boss,
05:54in December 2024,
05:56Leslie decided to ask for help from his boss.
06:00He told me,
06:02in two weeks, I will cure you.
06:05When you recover, I will send you back to the Philippines.
06:09That's what he told me.
06:13On January 27,
06:15Leslie returned to the Philippines.
06:18When we talked to him last week,
06:21he said that he has been recovering in a hospital
06:24in Zamboanga City for a month.
06:27Who is responsible for your expenses in the hospital?
06:31We asked for help from the government.
06:34How big is your hospital bill?
06:36It's already more than P100,000.
06:38How long have you been there?
06:41We already paid the down payment
06:45because it's already more than P300,000.
06:49Leslie is planning to file a case against his employer.
06:53He has already submitted his complaint
06:55to the Department of Migrant Workers or DMW
06:59and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration or OWA.
07:03What do you want to happen to the woman who did this to you?
07:08I don't know.
07:16In February 24,
07:18the OWA went to Leslie.
07:21They were able to reach the situation of the woman.
07:25They asked for financial help
07:28and promised to file a case against Leslie
07:31so that justice can be served.
07:44Meanwhile,
07:45we tried to get a permit from the Recruitment Agency
07:48that sent Leslie to the Middle East.
07:52Although the agency is registered
07:54to the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency or POEA,
07:58we were able to reach their office.
08:01We went to their address in Pasay City.
08:06We followed their office in Quezon City.
08:12The Recruitment Agency did not provide a permit.
08:17In 2024,
08:18the highest number of overseas employments
08:21in the past four decades
08:23according to the Department of Migrant Workers.
08:25It reached almost 2.5 million OFWs.
08:30As of this date,
08:32Rishelene is 28 years old.
08:35She was admitted as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia
08:38until February 3.
08:43This is what you will hear in a recorded video
08:46recorded by her father, Zaldi.
08:48In the video,
08:49you will hear Rishelene's pity.
08:54Where are they?
08:55Where are they?
08:59You will also hear a man's voice
09:01while Rishelene is crying non-stop.
09:10Rishelene was feeling sorry for the Arab employer
09:13who sent her back to the Philippines.
09:16How are you?
09:17How do they feel?
09:18I'm worried about everything.
09:21According to Zaldi,
09:23Rishelene was the victim of the employer's abuse.
09:26It was hard for her to go far away.
09:30You can't go to her right away to help her.
09:33There are many people who are afraid of us.
09:36We are going back to the Philippines.
09:38We are going to die.
09:40Because of Zaldi's deep concern,
09:44he asked for help from OWA.
09:48With the help of OWA,
09:50Rishelene was able to go back to the Philippines
09:52on February 11, 2025.
09:55Rishelene was able to borrow a reporter's notebook.
09:58According to her,
09:59she was able to go back to the Arab employer in June 2024.
10:04But only two months had passed
10:06when she experienced the pain from her employer.
10:10I was carrying a bag
10:12when my employer suddenly pushed me from behind.
10:15I was shocked.
10:17Rishelene said
10:18that she was abused several times.
10:23Every time my employer gets angry,
10:26he hits me.
10:29He doesn't leave me alone.
10:32He only slaps and punches me.
10:39She recorded a video of the pain she was experiencing.
10:42But the employer took her cellphone.
10:48He will hurt me.
10:49I want to record it.
10:51But what I did was
10:52I hid my cellphone
10:54so that he won't be able to get it.
11:00Until just a month ago,
11:02a friend recorded Rishelene's call
11:05while she was pitying her employer.
11:08I'm sorry.
11:09I'm sorry.
11:11I'm sorry.
11:12I'm sorry.
11:22He slapped me.
11:24I recorded it.
11:26I was on a call.
11:34The reporter's notebook was sent
11:36recruitment agency in Malate, Manila,
11:38who asked Richelene to leave.
11:40They conducted an investigation
11:42on what happened to Richelene.
11:44There was an issue that she ordered
11:46a mobile phone
11:48online address
11:50to the employer's house,
11:52which is prohibited by
11:54the Saudi law
11:56for privacy protection
11:58of the employer.
12:00Another complaint is that she
12:02didn't do her work.
12:04The biggest concern
12:06of the employer
12:08is that she didn't wear her uniform.
12:10It's not advisable
12:12because they are in a Muslim country.
12:14But the agency clarified
12:16that even if there is a lack
12:18in Richelene's plan,
12:20they do not consent to the
12:22harm done to her by the employer.
12:28We do not tolerate
12:30any physical abuse,
12:32even if it's just grabbing.
12:34No, we don't allow it.
12:36Within three days,
12:38we solved the issue.
12:40We sent her home,
12:42and we followed our responsibility
12:44as an agency in the existing contract.
12:46Because of the abuse,
12:48automatically,
12:50the contract will cease
12:52because the employer has a violation.
12:56Even if they want to answer,
12:58Richelene admitted that she
13:00did not arrange it with her employer.
13:02I just wanted to go home.
13:04If I sue her,
13:06it will take longer
13:08for me to process my papers.
13:12For now, Richelene is committed
13:14to taking care of her three children.
13:16Will you allow your children
13:18to work abroad?
13:20No, ma'am.
13:22It's a proven fact.
13:24But sometimes,
13:26the abuse experienced
13:28by some of our countrymen
13:30who are also
13:32working abroad
13:34leads to death.
13:42November 2016,
13:44Joanna Demafelis was killed
13:46by her husband.
13:48To hide the crime,
13:50she was put in a freezer.
13:52In February 2018,
13:54her body was discovered.
13:56Joanna's husband was imprisoned
13:58in Syria and Lebanon.
14:02A memorandum of understanding
14:04or MOU was passed
14:06between Kuwait and the Philippines
14:08to protect the OFWs
14:10on May 11, 2018.
14:14Seven years later,
14:16we contacted Joanna's family.
14:18We talked to her mother,
14:20Ewa Demafelis.
14:22Ms. Ewa said
14:24she was able to arrange
14:26for Joanna's ex-boss
14:28to take care of her family.
14:30We waited for five years.
14:34That was the payment
14:36from her employer.
14:40We haven't received anything yet.
14:44But it's not clear
14:46to Ms. Ewa's family
14:48how their case was handled.
14:50I haven't received
14:52any update yet.
14:54I heard that
14:56the man was imprisoned
14:58but the woman
15:00was released.
15:08They were not brought
15:10to justice physically
15:12because they left Kuwait
15:14and wherever they went,
15:16we don't know.
15:22Abuse of physical and verbal
15:24violence and exploitation
15:26is one of the top 10
15:28most frequently
15:30filed complaints
15:32by our OFWs.
15:34According to the GMW,
15:36the first complaint of OFWs
15:38is the contract violation.
15:40The salary is not enough,
15:42the working conditions
15:44are not enough,
15:46the living conditions,
15:48the food,
15:50passport and cell phone.
15:52And then of course,
15:54there are certain types of cases
15:56that deal with physical abuse.
15:58According to the GMW,
16:00there are 24,000 documented cases
16:02about abuse and exploitation
16:04of the rights of OFWs
16:06in 2022.
16:08It increased from
16:10more than 23,000 in 2020.
16:12Many of the cases happened
16:14in countries in the Middle East.
16:18In a survey conducted by
16:20Social Weather Stations or SWS
16:22in January 2025,
16:24one of the workers' rights and OFW welfare
16:26among voters
16:28in their vote
16:30in the upcoming election,
16:3292% said
16:34it is important that it is included
16:36in the platform of their
16:38candidate.
16:40There are a lot of bilateral agreements
16:42where we have partnerships
16:44to help OFWs.
16:46So that's another way of providing protection.
16:48What's important to everyone
16:50is that we have a system
16:52on how to avoid it.
16:54That's why we are fighting
16:56against illegal recruitment,
16:58our education programs.
17:00According to the Global Filipino Movement,
17:02a non-government organization
17:04that supports the rights
17:06and welfare of Filipino migrant workers
17:08despite the existence
17:10of a bilateral agreement
17:12between the Philippines and other countries,
17:14there are still a lot of employers,
17:16especially in the Middle East,
17:18who do not follow this.
17:20On the ground,
17:22we know that
17:24the employers themselves do not follow.
17:26For example,
17:28it is a basic right
17:30that you should hold your passport,
17:32your cell phone,
17:34and take it.
17:36And until now,
17:38it's still going on,
17:40even though it's already prohibited.
17:42We also have a monitoring facility,
17:44the Overseas Workers
17:46Monitoring System.
17:48So this is an electronic system
17:50where overseas workers through the recruitment agencies
17:52can report significant incidents.
18:06If a migrant worker experiences
18:08violation of his or her contract,
18:10there is a law to punish
18:12those involved in the complaint.
18:14According to Republic Act 8042,
18:16and later on
18:18revised as
18:20Republic Act 122,
18:22they have a
18:24solidary liability
18:26that the agency, local, foreign,
18:28and employer
18:30all have
18:32a responsibility
18:34or obligation.
18:36So even if the OFW
18:38is already here,
18:40you can blacklist
18:42the employer,
18:44you can file a
18:46foreign agency
18:48or blacklist him.
18:50The government reminds
18:52that in case of abuse
18:54in other countries,
18:56there are ways to immediately ask for help.
19:00Aside from the 1348 hotline,
19:02the respective migrant workers offices
19:04and labor attachés
19:06on the ground will help
19:08in the immediate way
19:10and the same way
19:12of helping.
19:14As I said earlier, filing a complaint.
19:22I am very thankful
19:24because I was able to return home alive
19:26and safe.
19:28I cannot thank them enough
19:30for what they did for me.
19:34What do you want to happen
19:36to the woman
19:38who did this to you?
19:40I don't know
19:42if she's still human
19:44because when she's hurt,
19:46it's like she's being killed.
19:52How many
19:54Rishaleen, Leslie,
19:56and Joanna
19:58are the thousands of OFWs
20:00who experienced violence and abuse
20:02while entering other countries?
20:04If there's enough
20:06opportunities and jobs in the Philippines,
20:08they won't choose to go abroad.
20:10They repeatedly say
20:12that they are the new heroes.
20:16But will they be given
20:18the proper protection?
20:22Until the next Saturday,
20:24I am Mackie Pulido.
20:26I am a Second Generation Filipino.
20:28And this is Reporters.org.