Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan 'Toots' Ople on Tuesday vowed to immediately take action on the case of Daisy Cardenas, an overseas Filipina Worker (OFW) in Saudi Arabia who was allegedly maltreated by her employers.
Ople said DMW will seek the help of the Saudi Arabia government to ensure the safety of Cardenas.
"Meron tayong partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Sila na mismo ang nagsabi na kapag may report ng abuse ay sabihan sila kaagad," Ople said in an interview during DZRH's Damdaming Bayan.
She said that a labor attache in Saudi Arabia will also contact the recruitment agency of Cardenas.
The DMW Secretary said that the recruitment agency needs to explain the lack of action on the maltreatment endured by the Filipina domestic helper.
Ople said that the recruitment agency should have monitored the status of Cardenas, who said that she considered taking her life due to the maltreatment that she endures from her employers.
"Batay sa aming rules dapat yung recruitment agency niya dito at sa Saudi Arabia ang first responders," she stressed.
The DMW Secretary said that DMW will also blacklist the employer of Cardenas.
In an earlier interview, Cardenas, who has been in Saudi Arabia for two months, sought help to return to the Philippines as she claimed that her employers have been starving her.
Cardenas further revealed that she filed a complaint with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) but her employers and recruitment threatened not to release her salary.
The Filipina domestic helper said that this blackmail forced her to withdraw her complaint, and that her employers also seized her passport.
