RIYADH -- Philippine Ambassador Antonio Villamor has criticized the Filipina domestic helper who described the retraction she was gang-raped in Saudi Arabia as a sheet of paper, written in Arabic, that she had signed under duress to speed up her repatriation.“Jessa flew to Manila last week after the embassy’s intervention and now she is retracting her confession for the reasons best known to her,” said Villamor. Villamor said that the Filipino domestic helper, identified as Jessa, was interviewed by embassy officials in Qatif and that she did not sign any confession that she made up charges against her employer and four men under duress. Villamor said that he, on hearing about the alleged rape, immediately dispatched a consular officer and an interpreter to Qatif, some 600 kilometers from Riyadh, to investigate the case and assist the Filipina in distress. An appeal to rescue Jessa was also made by Migrante-Middle East, a migrant worker organization, which advocates for overseas Filipino workers.
She arrived in Manila in the afternoon of May 28.
The Department of Foreign Affairs soon issued a press statement citing her statement dated May 26, 2008, in which she purportedly wrote that the rape allegations were fabricated and mere products of her "imagination." Now back home in Quirino province, Jessa -- speaking to Migrante officials through her husband -- stands by her accusation that she was gang raped in the coastal region of Qatif on May 19 in the presence of her employer and that she was held against her will. Lian Santos, deputy secretary general of Migrante International, said in a press statement that the organization fears that there is a “cover up,” citing the husband’s claim that his wife signed “under duress” a paper written in Arabic. “Our chapter in the Cordillera has interviewed the husband and the husband belied the DFA’s declaration concerning the retraction of his wife’s earlier statement that she was raped,” said the statement. “Her wife was only told to sign a paper in Arabic, which she did not understand. Her wife was not even interviewed by embassy officials. The issue now is not the recanting by the victim of her allegation of rape, but rather whether or not the government is truly serving our kababayans (compatriots) in distress.” But Villamor said: “The embassy stands by its report that upon representation by the embassy officer, the Qatif Police summoned the employer on May 26 to present the OFW and shed light on the case. The employer agreed to let the OFW leave and to shoulder the repatriation costs.” Jessa herself, in a note to Villamor, has reiterated her thanks to the embassy for her repatriation. She informed the ambassador that her employer gave her additional SR4,250 to cover her travel expenses. She left for Manila on May 28. “This kind of misleading attitudes of our workers like Jessa will harm our bilateral relations,” said Villamor, adding that the Islamic kingdom and the Philippine have had excellent ties in almost all sectors. Flora Belinan, regional coordinator of Migrante-Cordillera, insisted Jessa was not provided a translation of the document she had signed. “She felt that her signature would mean immediate escape from her distressed situation. The embassy staff present during the signing did not even advise her on the contents of the document she was signing,” said Belinan. “What is sickening is that, if all these allegations are true, the DFA would rather cover up the case rather than seek justice for a Filipino citizen.” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo had lauded Villamor for “the swift and full attention and action accorded” the case. But Santos said that this case illustrates a typical model used by the DFA when confronting abuse cases in Saudi Arabia. “That the victim recanted the allegation of rape is symptomatic of the usual treatment of rape cases by Philippine government representatives in the Middle East,” said Santos. “That the Foreign Affairs Secretary lauds that action of his subordinate is symptomatic of the level of justice that can be attained by women victims under the present administration.” Ghazanfar Ali Khan, with a report from INQUIRER.net | 
