Another Pinay worker hurt in Riyadh suicide bombing

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople confirmed yesterday that a second Filipina worker was wounded in a midnight suicide car bomb attack on a residential compound west of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last Saturday.

He had earlier confirmed that Lolita Montealto, a Filipina domestic helper, suffered a fractured right arm and is confined at the King Faizal Hospital.

"We have a second Filipina worker who was slightly injured. She has been treated for her injuries and has been discharged from the hospital. We are now contacting her relatives to update them on her situation, as we had earlier done in the case of Montealto," Ople said in a statement.

Montealto earlier said that another Filipina domestic helper was working with their Lebanese employer prior to the bombing.

Ople expressed relief that no Filipinos have so far been reported as fatalities in the terrorist bombing.

"I continue to hope and pray that our kababayans were spared and that there were no Filipino fatalities," Ople said, adding that the Philippine embassy in Riyadh continues to monitor the situation very closely.

Reports indicate that the fatalities included Saudi, Sudanese and Egyptian nationals. Among the wounded were citizens from the United States, Canada, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Romania, Sri Lanka and some African nations.

The bombing, which a Saudi official said bore the hallmarks of the al-Qaeda terrorist network, was reportedly intended to destabilize the Saudi Arabian government.

Ople condemned the bombing and said the Philippines fully supports the leadership and the government of Saudi Arabia.

"I have every confidence that the Saudi government will not only withstand any assault or attempt to destabilize it, but will also succeed in bringing the terrorists responsible for this attack to justice," Ople said.

He also said that plans for President Arroyo to visit Saudi Arabia are on track.

"The President is looking forward to her visit to Saudi Arabia and we are working on a mutually acceptable date," he said. — Mike Frialde, Marichu Villanueva