Pacquiao urged to probe case of OFW 'scalded' by employer

MANILA, Philippines — A migrants rights group on Thursday urged Sarangani Rep. and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao to look into the latest case of a Filipino maid who was reportedly maltreated by the mother of her employer in Saudi Arabia.

Fahima Palacasi Alagasi, 23, a native of Pikit, North Cotabato, was purportedly scalded after the mother of her Yemeni employer poured boiling water on her after she accidentally dropped a water heater while making coffee.

John Monterona of Migrante-Middle East also hit Philippine embassy and labor officials in Saudi Arabia for mishandling the case filed by Alagasi against the mother of her employer.

Monterona said it took 25 days for embassy and labor officials to assist Alagasi in filing a case.

"From the filing of the case on May 29, 2014, it took seven months after the first hearing was conducted on Jan. 5, 2015," he said.

Last week, Monterona said he managed to talk to the embassy-hired lawyer providing legal services to Alagasi.

He said he learned that there were two counter-cases filed by the defendant against Alagasi one of which was a labor case  that was dismissed due to a "court jurisdiction" issue.

"What is quite alarming is the assertion of Ms. Alagasi that she was not given proper briefing before, during, and after court hearing and update on the status of her case," Monterona said.

"We won’t be surprised if Ms. Alagasi’s case filed against the culprit will be dismissed and she, as a victim of maltreatment, will be sent to jail mainly because her case was messed up by inept embassy and labor officials headed by Ambassador [to Saudi Arabia] Ezzedin Tago," Monterona said.

The group supports the call made by Pacquiao, vice chairperson of the House of Representatives committee on overseas workers affairs, for the Philippine government to have an inventory of overseas Filipino workers with pending cases abroad.