Missing Pinay in Kuwait surfaces, says she fought off abductors

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipina domestic helper who has been missing since January has finally surfaced, claiming she was kidnapped by a Bangladeshi taxi driver whose group tried to rape her. According to the Arab Times, 30-year-old Mary Lovely Joy Donaire escaped from her employer on December 19, 2008 for maltreatment and non-payment of her salary for seven months. “After leaving my employer’s house, I stayed at my aunt in Qurain then on January 5, I decided to go to the (Philippine) embassy to seek assistance, but unfortunately, the Bangladeshi brought me to Kheitan and he locked me up in a flat (apartment)," said the Davao native in the report. She said the Bangladeshi driver tried to rape her but she was able to fight back with her basic knowledge of martial arts, allowing her to tie him up inside the bathroom. “Another guy came into the room again, I guess he’s Egyptian, he also tried to rape me but I fought back and tied him up too," she said. After two more weeks, she said that two more Egyptians entered the room and also tried to rape her. “One was holding my two arms while the other took off his clothes and tried to have sex with me, I kicked him in the balls, and twisted the arm of the other guy and managed to tie them up too inside the bathroom," she said. Donaire said she was able to successfully maneuver her escape plan on February 11 when another Bangladeshi tried to rape her. “The guy bringing the food entered the room and he also attempted to rape me. I fought back but he had a knife. I was able to grab the knife and I hit him. When he fell on the floor, I went straight to the elevator and ran out of the building," she said. After her escape, she said a Filipino couple found her and took her under their custody. “Marlon and his wife Maria took care of me. Marlon works at the Ministry of Defense and he said that he’s the nephew of Philippine Consul Vicente Cabe in Abu Dhabi," she said. The couple reportedly decided to let her stay in their home for a while before bringing her to the embassy so that she can recover from the trauma first. “They said that I was not in the right state of mind and I felt so weak so I stayed with them for a week till I [found out that the] members of the Filipino community were already looking for me, hence, I asked them to bring me to the embassy," she said. The couple asked someone to drop off Donaire at the embassy last Sunday. “Marlon and Maria don’t want to show up at the embassy coz they said that they don’t want to get involved in my case since they’re just new in Kuwait," said Donaire. Meanwhile, Abdulhalim Lancgo, the case officer at the Assistance to Nationals Unit at the Philippine Embassy told the Arab Times that the Filipina is now safe at the embassy and that they will be contacting her employer to help collect her unpaid salaries. “On behalf of Ambassador Ricardo Endaya, I would like to thank … all the Filipinos who helped in searching for Lovely Donaire and the embassy would also like to thank the couple Marlon and Maria and we hope they can visit us so we can thank them personally," said Langco. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV