A FILIPINO household worker in Saudi Arabia is in serious condition in a hospital after her woman employer allegedly forced her to drink a household bleach, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported on Monday.
In a statement released, the DFA said the Philippines had filed appropriate charges against Agnes Mancilla’s employer who was later arrested by the police authorities.
“We would like to assure our kababayans that we are working closely with authorities in Jizan to make sure that justice will be given to Agnes Mancilla,” Consul General Edgar Badajos said.
Badajos added the Consulate officials who made representations with authorities in Jizan were monitoring the condition of Mancilla, a household service worker who remains in serious condition but stable at the King Fahad Central Hospital in Jizan, southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Mancilla who fell unconscious was rushed by concerned members of the Filipino Community to the Jizan King Fahd Central Hospital on April 2 after her employer allegedly forced her to ingest household bleach.
Fighting for her dear life at the hospital, Mancilla underwent laparotomy to flush out the bleach from her stomach.
Aside from that, the attending physicians also found out some burn marks on her back.
Badajos said Mancilla had been working in Saudi Arabia since 2016. She was allegedly physically abused constantly by her employer and was not being paid her salary.
“The Consulate will regularly send representatives to Jizan to follow up her case with the police and to look into her condition,” Badajos said.
He also requested the assistance of the Filipino Community in Jizan to help monitor the condition of Mancilla.
Badajos said consulate officials had already visited Mancilla and made representations with authorities in Jizan to make sure that appropriate charges would be filed against her employer who was arrested by police.
Just last Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated that the government was doing everything to put an end to abuses against Filipino migrant workers in the Middle East.