Pinay OFW sa Saudi Arabia, tumawag sa tatay na umiiyak at nagmamakaawa sa amo: "Let me go!"

Sunday, February 09, 2025 at 11:55 PM by Stacy dela Fuente 3 min read

- A Filipina OFW in Saudi Arabia has asked help from the OWWA for allegedly being abused by her employer

- Her father sought the assistance of the department after receiving a phone call from her daughter

- In the phone call, one could hear the Pinay crying, while telling her employer to let her go

- The DMW has also started looking into the case of the victim

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A Filipina domestic worker in Saudi Arabia has sought assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) following allegations of maltreatment by her employer, the agency confirmed on Friday.

Rieshelyne Olit, who had been working in Jeddah for only eight months, reported that the abuse began in November and has since escalated. In one incident, she said her employer locked her in a bathroom for an hour.

During an emotional phone call with her father, Zaldy Olit, Rieshelyne pleaded to be brought back home.

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“Nag-aayos lang siya ng kanyang gamit sa labas, naglilinis, tapos sinampal na siya agad ng amo niya. Nagagalit sa anak niya kaya pinagbubuntunan ang anak ko,” Zaldy Olit said.

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OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio confirmed that efforts are underway to locate and rescue Rieshelyne.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has also initiated discussions with Saudi authorities regarding the case.

“It’s important to know their employer bago pa man umalis ng Pilipinas ‘yung background ng employer, qualifications. In fact, sinasabi pa nga the possiblity of a video call bago umalis,” said DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac.

The incident has raised concerns, especially following the deaths of two other Filipino domestic workers—Jelyn Arguzon and Riolyn Sayson—under suspicious circumstances in Saudi Arabia last year. Arguzon's husband lost contact with her in June, and she was reported dead in July. Meanwhile, Sayson had previously complained about being locked in her room, limited communication access, and insufficient food.

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The DMW noted that there are approximately 900,000 overseas Filipino workers currently in Saudi Arabia.

News, photos or videos that arouse the interest of netizens would often go viral on social media, due to the attention netizens give them. These viral posts appeal to the emotions of netizens, and in rare cases, such could also happen to ordinary people, making them very relatable. Traffic altercations or issues are also among those that capture the attention of netizens since they occur on a day-to-day basis.

In a previous report by KAMI, a 64 year old elderly woman from Midsayap, Cotabato was mercilessly stabbed multiple times by a man. According to a report in TV 5's 'Frontline Express,' the elderly victim identified as Elena Fernandez was awakened by a noise coming from a room next to where she was sleeping. To her surprise, she saw an unknown man who unhesitatingly stabbed her multiple times.