Sex-for-flight charges pushed

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Justice has recommended the filing of criminal charges against a labor attaché and the driver of another labor attaché based in Saudi Arabia for their alleged involvement in the “sex-for-flight’’ scandal.

The DOJ did not name the two men to be charged with “abuses against chastity and acts of lasciviousness” based on   the complaint of four female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). It also did not identify the four women complainants.

The labor attaché will be charged with two counts of abuses of chastity based on the complaint of one of the four female OFWs, a maid who sought the help of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) after she was raped by her employer.

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The DOJ said this was because the labor attaché had made an indecent proposal to the woman when the former asked if he could touch her private parts while they were on their way to the labor center on Feb. 5 last year.

It also found merit in the claims of the woman that the labor attaché had made offensive telephone calls to her based on the fact that he had earlier made an indecent proposal to her and that this was in relation to her repatriation to the Philippines.

The charge of abuses against chastity was recommended in the case of the labor attaché as it involves an offense where “public officer who shall solicit or make immoral or indecent advances to a woman interested in matters pending before such officer for decision, or with respect to which he is required to submit a report or consult with a superior officer.”

But the DOJ dismissed the complaint of two other OFWs against the same labor attaché. One complainant failed to appear during the preliminary investigation, so her complaint was dismissed with prejudice. The complaint of the other woman was dismissed for lack of probable cause.

Meanwhile, the filing of charges for acts of lasciviousness was recommended against the driver of another labor attaché based on the complaint of a Filipino domestic helper who had taken refuge at the Polo office, working as a janitor there.

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