Pinay beheaded in Saudi for murder

A Filipino domestic helper was beheaded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last June 1 for killing her Arab employer, according to 22 Filipino contract workers who returned to Manila Monday evening.

The Filipino woman was identified as Edan Tejano, a 28-year-old domestic helper from Nueva Ecija, who reportedly stabbed to death her Arab employer while resisting his attempt to rape her.

Tejano sought shelter at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Center in the Philippine Embassy compound in Jeddah after killing her employer, the returning Filipino contract workers said.

The returning Filipino contract workers, who have a common story of abuse and maltreatment in the hands of their Arab employers, said Tejano had with her several jewelry when she arrived at the OWWA center a few months back.

Tejano, according to the 22 OFWs, entrusted the jewelry to another runaway Filipino domestic helper at the center identified as Aiereen Maso, 30, of Cubao, Quezon City.

Tejano’s presence in the OWWA center was discovered by the Saudi police when an Arab woman to whom Maso sold the pieces of jewelry reported to the police that the jewelry appeared to be stolen.

A raid was conducted by the police at the OWWA center and arrested both Tejano and Maso.

Maso’s hands were chopped off for being an accessory to the crime, and she was still languishing in jail.

All of the returning Filipino workers were runaways and were all staying at the center. They claimed they were maltreated by their Arab employers and were not paid their salaries.

"We left our country without money, and returned home still with empty pockets," Nasiba Saro, a 30-year-old Muslim from Lanao del Sur, said. – Rey Arquiza