Rape victim goes home
Sponsor ‘punished’ Filipina for escape bid
Ayla Marisse G Ginete
Contributor
Reyna Cardines, the Filipina maid who ran away to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), claiming sexual harassment by her sponsor on two occasions, has been reportedly sent home.
Reyna arrived in Bahrain on October 10, 2006 on a referral from her older sister who also worked as a maid in Bahrain. Reyna later found out that she had been assigned to a brother of her sister’s sponsor.
By mid-November, she claimed her sponsor made illicit advances towards her. She tried hard to drive him away but he pursued her.
Rape victim goes home
Sponsor ‘punished’ Filipina for escape bid
Ayla Marisse G Ginete
Contributor
Reyna Cardines, the Filipina maid who ran away to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), claiming sexual harassment by her sponsor on two occasions, has been reportedly sent home.
Reyna arrived in Bahrain on October 10, 2006 on a referral from her older sister who also worked as a maid in Bahrain. Reyna later found out that she had been assigned to a brother of her sister’s sponsor.
By mid-November, she claimed her sponsor made illicit advances towards her. She tried hard to drive him away but he pursued her.
Reyna said she had tried to run away but was caught.
She claimed she was sexually assaulted again as a “punishment” for her bid to run away. She made a second attempt to flee and arrived at the OWWA shelter.
It is believed that Reyna did not go through the normal employment procedures because she has no recollection of ever going through the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency or attending the pre-departure orientation which is mandatory for all Filipinos being deployed overseas.
Reyna hails from Leyte, the Philippines where her five children in the age group 5-15 are waiting for her.