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MANILA, Philippines?The Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs should press the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to thoroughly investigate the reported death of an overseas Filipino worker, a migrants? group said in a statement.
?Reports reaching us a certain OFW named Joy Cabansi Sarto, 28 years old, of Echague, Isabela was allegedly raped and was found dead in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last September 22, 2009,? said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.
Citing the records of his group?s rights and welfare committee, he said Sarti is the 13th victim this year who died following abuse and maltreatment.
Monterona said the victim?s husband already sought the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the Philippines but nothing has happened yet.
?Until now, the family of the victim has not been given any official report from the Philippine post concerned on the circumstances leading to the death of the victim, and what actions (consulate general) have taken to give her justice,? he said.
?Ours and the family?s concern is that since the commission of the alleged crime, no autopsy has been conducted which is like giving time to the alleged culprit to conceal the truth,? he added.
Cases such as this are rampant in the Middle East, Migrante-ME said, but the passivity and reluctance of embassy and consulate officials to conduct their own investigation have allowed the criminals to go scot-free.
?The DFA and the Philippine posts, along with host governments, should come up via diplomatic channels with a procedure in investigating cases like this. Facts must be established and circumstances leading to the death of abused OFWs mostly household service workers must be well documented,? Monterona said.
