RP diplomat pimping for Pinays detained in Saudi?

Returning Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia charged yesterday that certain personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia were conspiring with prison guards to force Filipino women detained in Jeddah and Riyadh to engage in prostitution.

The expose was made by a certain Rodolfo Macha of Carmona, Cavite, who arrived from Jeddah after he was detained for few days at the Jawasat Deportation Detention cell for overstaying.

According to Macha, he observed while in detention that Filipino women who are also detained in the same detention cell are forced to go out at night and are returned the following morning with bruises indicating that they are raped.

He mentioned a certain "Manny," who works for the Philippine embassy, and who comes at night at the detention cell to bring out detained Filipino women and sell them to Arab clients.

The women are detained at the two cells in Saudi Arabia for various offenses ranging from overstaying to running away from their employers for maltreatment and non-payment of their salary.

"This embassy employee conspires with prison guards who readily allows the detained Filipino women to stay out for the night from their detention cell," Macha claimed.

The disclosure of Macha was confirmed by other Filipinos who were detained at the said cells of Riyadh. Although they refused to give their names, they however said that what everything Macha said was true.

There are about 150 Filipino women detained at two prison compounds in Jeddah and Riyadh.

They said that Philippine government authorities should look into the activities of some embassy personnel who, instead of helping Filipinos, are the very ones exploiting them.– Rey Arquiza