Violeta sought the assistance of Bantay OCW regarding her overseas Filipino worker (OFW) friend, a father of two, apparently with an unfaithful wife.
The OFW wife had an affair and got herself pregnant while the OFW husband was in Saudi Arabia.
The wife is said to be continuously after the OFW’s remittances. She also demands that the OFW’s financial support be given to her directly and not through her in-laws.
Violeta also added that the OFW is purposely sending his remittances to his parents for his kids’ financial support because his parents are the ones taking care of his family’s needs.
The parents of the OFW are also giving his wife money, but she’s only using it for her vices and personal stuff, unmindful of her children’s needs.
Lately, the wife even went to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and reported her husband’s nonremittance to her directly. She even managed to send the said complaint to the OFW’s employer.
Despite issues on remittances, the OFW family has been hearing rumors on the alleged infidelity of the wife. She was rumored to be pregnant and just gave birth recently.
But it was reported that the wife had the gall to face the world and even went straight to her in-laws’ house right after giving birth to her illegitimate child.
Her in-laws have been asking her where she gave birth and where the child is but the wife denied everything.
She claims that she didn’t get pregnant and only looks pregnant because she gained weight, and became fat and is always full. Hearing this, the family tagged her as a BFL (Big Fat Liar)
The family claimed that the OFW wife is also using drugs. Despite the controversies, she insisted that she has all the rights as a legal wife of an OFW, she could demand and should receive a huge sum of money as support for her and their children.
However, the employer of the OFW said that while the OFW is working for them and is compliant on the contract they have agreed upon, the employer would pay him rightfully and directly give it to the OFW, not to his wife.
That is also similar with the remittances of seafarers. Their 80-percent allotment is not automatically sent to their legal wife. It is only the OFW who will decide on whom to remit his salaries.
In this particular case, according to lawyer Deo Grafil, presidential adviser on OFW Concerns of the Office of Vice President Jejomar Binay, the OFW cannot be charged for nonsupport, provided the financial support regularly sent is clearly established.
Even though the OFW admitted that it was his parents who received his remittances because his folks were the ones taking care of his children instead of his wife.
On the issue of the wife who got pregnant and gave birth, Grafil said, if proven, the wife can be charged with adultery, and if found guilty, that can be used as a case of legal separation.
On drug issues, Grafil clarified that if the wife conceals her drug addiction to her spouse and manifests only after marriage that would be a ground for annulment, but has to be filed within five years from knowledge of drug addiction. However, if the erring spouse became a drug addict after celebration of marriage, that can be a ground for legal separation.
Many families have been shattered because of infidelity. But it is also not right to blame a failed marriage on a partner’s choice in going abroad.
Even though a married couple has been together for years, this problem still exists.
Married couples should endeavor to make their union a three-fold cord by putting their creator, God, in the center of their marriage.
(Susan Andes, aka Susan K., can be heard over Radyo Inquirer dzIQ 990AM, Monday to Friday, 10:30 am-12 noon. Audio/video live streaming is at www.ustream.tv/channel/dziq. Visit her website at www.bantayocwfoundation.org. Helpline: 0927-6499870, e-mail: bantayocwfoundation@yahoo.com/susank