Help sought for maltreated Pinay

Senator Cynthia Villar urged yesterday the Duterte government to clarify its policy on sending domestic Filipino workers, saying she is alarmed at the rising number of migrant workers being abused and maltreated by their employers.

Villar has sought the Department of Foreign Affairs’ assistance on OFW Joramie Garcia Torres who was beaten up and scalded with boiling oil by her employer in Kuala Lumpur.

She said the DFA should extend legal and humanitarian assistance to Torres as she attends court hearings and pursues a criminal case against her employer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“We all should be proud and supportive of Joramie because she is intent on seeking justice under Malaysian law,” Villar pointed out.

“While she cooperates with the Malaysian government, I hope that the DFA and DoLE can also assist her indigent family,” she said, referring to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

The lawmaker noted that Torres was a grade school teacher prior to applying to work abroad as a domestic worker in Malaysia.

The OFW is now under the care of the Malaysian government while charges against her Malaysian employer are pending in court. The Malaysian employer was arrested but was able to post bail.

Villar said she intends to file a Senate resolution calling for an inquiry into the rising instances of abuse and maltreatment concerning domestic workers on a per country basis.