A Filipina allegedly raped by her employer's son in Turaif in northern Saudi Arabia is now under the custody of Philippine embassy personnel.

 

The Filipina, who was not immediately identified, is now staying at the embassy’s "Bahay Kalinga," the embassy said in a news release posted on its website on Monday.

 

The embassy said it learned of the Filipina's plight in Turaif, some 1,600 kilometers from Riyadh, only on July 8.

 

"She was immediately turned over to Embassy officials after her complaint was filed with the police. She is currently staying at the Embassy’s Filipino Workers’ Resource Center or Bahay Kalinga in Riyadh," the embassy said.

 

However, the suspect was not in the area and is now presumed to be at-large.

 

An embassy team went to Turaif in Ar-ar Province in northern Saudi Arabia to verify the reports that the Filipina was raped.

 

The team included officials from the Embassy’s Assistance to Nationals Section (ANS) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Central Region Operations (POLO-CRO).

 

The team arrived at the employer's house on July 10, accompanied by police. The police forcibly entered the house and secured the Filipina.

Saddened by loss of privacy

 

Meanwhile, the Filipina, although she was thankful for her "rescue," expressed dismay that her plight was widely circulated on the Internet.

 

"She was saddened by the loss of her privacy and that of her family in the Philippines," the embassy said.

 

The embassy reminded Filipinos in the Kingdom and their families in the Philippines to "refrain from broadcasting through social media platforms or other means sensitive information regarding ongoing cases as it may compromise efforts by concerned authorities."

 

Instead, it encouraged Filipinos to contact the Embassy directly at atn@philembassy-riyadh.org for reports on similar cases. - VVP, GMA News