This article was in the UAE GulfNews this Tuesday. If you can't count on your embassy to protect you, who can you count on?
Mission 'neglected plight of maids who were raped' By Barbara Bibbo', Correspondent Published: 11/12/2006, GulfNews
Doha: The Philippine Embassy in Qatar has refused to comment on attacks from Manila-based women's groups who have accused the mission of neglecting two rape victims, a foreign newspaper has reported. The groups also warned the embassy they would look into the victims' allegation that the mission dissuaded them from denouncing their sponsors in Qatar. "They [Philippine diplomats] want to avoid any publicity on this issue," an embassy employee said when asked repeatedly by Gulf News to comment on the report. "The Philippine's militant groups demanded on Wednesday the recall and investigation of the Philippine ambassador, the labour attaché and other diplomats in Qatar who allegedly neglected a domestic helper who was raped on November 3," the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported. The newspaper said Migrante International, a Filipino watchdog for migrants' rights, and the Gabriela Women's party-list group (a women's organisation in Manila) presented to the media in Manila the cases of two Filipina maids, who were raped by their sponsors and recruiters in Qatar. One of the victims, aged 37, was reported as saying she sought help from the Philippine embassy in Doha after being raped by her sponsor on November 3. Embassy staff were having a party and she had to wait several hours before the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) personnel attended to her. She said she had repeatedly asked the embassy for help in leaving her abusive employer but was ignored. Another Filipina maid was reported as saying she was repeatedly raped by the owner of her recruitment agency in Qatar and was also sexually harassed by her sponsor. "We denounce Filipino officials in Qatar for compounding, heightening and worsening the atrocities they [the two victims] suffered at the hands of their rapist employers and recruiters," Migrante secretary-general Maita Santiago was reported as saying.
If you want to express your disgust with the Philippines Embassy, they can be contacted via the following: Philippines Embassy Tel:4831585 or 4836871 email: [email protected]
This article was in the UAE GulfNews this Tuesday. If you can't count on your embassy to protect you, who can you count on?
Mission 'neglected plight of maids who were raped'
By Barbara Bibbo', Correspondent Published: 11/12/2006, GulfNews
Doha: The Philippine Embassy in Qatar has refused to comment on attacks from Manila-based women's groups who have accused the mission of neglecting two rape victims, a foreign newspaper has reported.
The groups also warned the embassy they would look into the victims' allegation that the mission dissuaded them from denouncing their sponsors in Qatar.
"They [Philippine diplomats] want to avoid any publicity on this issue," an embassy employee said when asked repeatedly by Gulf News to comment on the report.
"The Philippine's militant groups demanded on Wednesday the recall and investigation of the Philippine ambassador, the labour attaché and other diplomats in Qatar who allegedly neglected a domestic helper who was raped on November 3," the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
The newspaper said Migrante International, a Filipino watchdog for migrants' rights, and the Gabriela Women's party-list group (a women's organisation in Manila) presented to the media in Manila the cases of two Filipina maids, who were raped by their sponsors and recruiters in Qatar.
One of the victims, aged 37, was reported as saying she sought help from the Philippine embassy in Doha after being raped by her sponsor on November 3. Embassy staff were having a party and she had to wait several hours before the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) personnel attended to her.
She said she had repeatedly asked the embassy for help in leaving her abusive employer but was ignored. Another Filipina maid was reported as saying she was repeatedly raped by the owner of her recruitment agency in Qatar and was also sexually harassed by her sponsor.
"We denounce Filipino officials in Qatar for compounding, heightening and worsening the atrocities they [the two victims] suffered at the hands of their rapist employers and recruiters," Migrante secretary-general Maita Santiago was reported as saying.
If you want to express your disgust with the Philippines Embassy, they can be contacted via the following:
Philippines Embassy
Tel:4831585 or 4836871
email: [email protected]