PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN TURKEY ASSISTS IN REPATRIATING  PREGNANT OFW, 

WARNS AGAINST ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT

6 September 2007 – A pregnant overseas Filipino worker left Istanbul enroute to Manila on 05 September 2007, after the Philippine Embassy in Ankara assisted in her repatriation.

According to Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim A. Guinomla, Marietta (not her real name) informed the embassy that she is five months pregnant and that she did not want to deliver her baby illegally in Turkey .

She said that her boyfriend abandoned her and that he could no longer be located.

Marietta said she grew up in Cotabato City .  She was born in December 1985.  In November 2004, she was recruited by a friend residing in Metro Manila and falsified her birth data, making it appear that she was 33 years old.

She said she was promised a good job in Lebanon but that in fact, her actual destination was Damascus , Syria where she was arrested upon arrival for possession of a fake visa.  After two days in detention, an unidentified Syrian national interceded for her release and endorsed her to an employment agency in Aleppo owned by a certain Mr. Saydoni.

While under the employ of Saydoni, Marietta claimed that she was physically abused and was raped twice by her employer.

She was then dispatched to a certain Ms. Hamod who told her that she will be paid her salary after two years, upon expiration of her work contract.  However, she did not receive any compensation from Hamod.

In August 2006, she fled Syria for Turkey by dealing with human smugglers/traffickers.

Upon arrival in Turkey , she and other migrants were handed over to a certain Mr. Hassan, allegedly an Egyptian, who reportedly provided shelter to persons wanting to migrate to Greece and Italy .

Marietta claimed that Hassan offered to marry her but she refused and escaped.

The embassy coordinated with Turkish immigration authorities to facilitate Marietta ’s repatriation.  Prior to her departure, Ambassador Guinomla advised Marietta to seek the assistance of concerned government agencies to bring those responsible for her suffering to justice.  END

/esgret

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