The Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS) could only wish that statement is true but the Riyadh-based Filipino workers organization that aims to assist distressed migrants stress that to gain respect from others, one has to be truthful. The KGS wants the true state of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia spelled correctly by Filipino government officials even how painful or bitter it is.

Filipino labor officials in the Kingdom should know better. The increasing number of Filipino workers seeking assistance in their offices all over the Kingdom should mobilize them to gather exact data from jobsites to know the correct labor situation. Reporting to Manila that Filipino domestic helpers are eliciting a higher level of respect from Saudi employers when in fact the recently rape of Filipina domestic helper as videotaped by his employers son is only the tip of the iceberg.

The mysterious death of Anita Carvajal Morales inside the toilet of a Saudi police station as well as the rape of two Filipina nurses by a taxi driver is the latest of this unrespectable debacle.

We know that there is a rising unfair migrant labor cases occurring in Saudi Arabia. Respect for Filipina women who are victims of physical and sexual abuse from their cruel employers is our greatest wish and demand for justice for the abused is the loudest cry that the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan wants to echo all over the world.

Enough is enough!

The KGS urges the Philippine Embassy to investigate these two incidents.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion should resign from his Manila office after his statement of respect for OFWs fell into deaf ears while murder, rape, unpaid wages of Filipino workers and physical abuse by Saudi employers continue unabated here in Riyadh.

Not a few of KGS members were surprised to know that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh was not informed of the Filipina death until relatives of the 41-year mother of two sought the assistance of Filipino officials to immediately repatriate her remains.

Few days before the death of Anita spread in the Saudi capital, the rape of two Filipina nurses working at the Riyadh Military Hospital was the talk of the town.

While rumors spread that two Filipinas were left by their hospital bus, the two fresh nurses took a cab that reportedly brought them out of the city center where they were raped.

We urge the Philippine Embassy to investigate these two incidents.

For the alleged murder of Anita, the Philippine Embassy should ask for an independent investigation on how Anita died inside a police station especially when the stealing charges leveled against her was already withdrawn and that his employer already expressed intention to deport her.

To be able to gain respect from all Filipina domestic helpers and other Filipino people, the Philippine Embassy officials should be able to prove how a tarha attached to a door knob of a toilet could kill somebody when one is supposed be euphoric that her charges against her was withdrawn and that she is about to go home.

To be able to gain respect from other people, the Philippine Embassy should push itself to press for investigation in the alleged rape of Filipina nurses who are still in trauma inside a hospital in Riyadh.

To be able to gain respect, Filipino officials should know that a self-imposed salary increase is not a benchmark for respect. An employer voluntarily giving workers a double pay for what the employer believes that the worker deserve is.

For sure, murder of workers or committing suicide, sexual and physical abuse and unpaid salary wages do not manifest respect. From a bigger Philippine picture, KGS calls on the Philippine government to elicit respect from the international community of nations by calling the Arroyo regime resigning from its post due to its failure to protect Filipino migrant workers and by failing to curb graft and corruption back home.

For our global allies, sympathizers & friends we call on them to join us in our call for genuine respect and justice for all migrant workers of the world, and to push the Philippines to investigate the death of Anita Carvajal Morales and to protect all migrants that are victims of abuse. # # #