6 July 2004 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert today said that the Department of Foreign Affairs, through its foreign service posts and working with host governments will pursue all appropriate legal actions to give justice to Filipinos abused overseas and to strongly discourage those inclined to commit such abuses.

The Secretary made this statement in connection with the legal action that the Philippine government is contemplating to take against the employer of Milafrina Salvador Guinacaran who passed away in the Philippines after suffering physical abuse while in Saudi Arabia.

“Aside from looking into the liability of Ms. Guinacaran’s recruitment agency, I have instructed our Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to act on this matter, to include, as appropriate, the filing of appropriate charges against the person or persons who abused Ms. Guinacaran.  This is an action that we take as a matter of policy in cases such as this,” the Secretary said.

“This is an action that has often resulted in substantial monetary awards or damages for the abuses suffered by overseas Filipinos and fines and imprisonment for the abusers,” she added. END.