OFW acquitted of murder in Saudi returns to Philippines after 7 years

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) imprisoned for seven years in Saudi Arabia over the killing of her Lebanese employer has returned to the Philippines after being acquitted of the crime.

According to a 24 Oras report by JP Soriano on Friday, then 24-year-old "Hope," not her real name, arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in June 2013 to work as a domestic helper.

Barely three weeks into her job, Hope fell victim to an unfortunate tragedy and became a witness to a crime.

Based on her statements, as well as court records in Saudi Arabia, Hope was throwing garbage outside the house of her Lebanese employer when three men entered the residence.

"May pumasok na tatlong lalaki, doon pinasok sila sa bahay, and I think the main motive was robbery. Ang nangyari when she went in sa bahay, nakita niya na parang nagkakagulo na, hinawakan siya nu'ng isa and then both of them actually were raped by the assailants," said Ambassador Adnan Alonto of the Philippine Embassy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"Hindi pa nakuntento 'yung tatlo, pinatay ba 'yung babaeng employer niya," Alonto continued.

With no other witnesses around, Hope was investigated for the crime.

"Mga limang minuto po ako ininterview, may interpreter ako na hindi ko po alam kung Indian 'yun o ano, after po nu'n pinosasan po nila ako, diretso sa sasakyan," Hope said.

Hope will have faced a death sentence if he was found guilty of murder.

The trial dragged on for a three years due to the lack of witnesses and because the slain Lebanese employer's family kept on skipping the hearings.

In 2016, the trial picked up momentum and two years later, in 2018, Hope - thanks to the consistency of her statements - was acquitted of the crime.

"Lahat ng sakit tiniis ko nang mag-isa. Ilang buwan din po akong nag-solo, may kasamang ibang lahi. Tiniis ko po siya kasi sabi ko sa sarili ko pagsubok ito ng itaas eh. Hindi ko ito gagawin kung hindi ko ito kaya," Hope said.

Hope, now 31, returned to the country last week.

"Mag-uumpisa ako kung maaari dahil wala eh, kailangan kong bumangon kasi may tao namang nakasuporta. Unang-una 'yung itaas, hindi ako binitawan, pangalawa 'yung buong gobyerno, bakit ako susuko kung 'yung mga nasa paligid ko hindi ako binitawan. 'Yung pag-start ng panibago or pangalawang buhay ko, 'yun na ang pinakamagandang gift sa akin for this Christmas," she said. -Jamil Santos/MDM, GMA News