Facebook post saves Pinay in Jordan

A Filipino woman’s Facebook post about alleged abuses has led to her rescue in Amman, Jordan, officials said on Saturday.

Josalyn Ombe, 35, is now under the custody of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in Jordan after being rescued from her reportedly abusive employer.

“We are looking after Ombe and the Polo is providing her security and requirement,” labor attaché Florenda Herrera said.

The labor office said it was closely monitoring the case for further developments and was helping the maid prepare a possible suit against her employer.

Ombe, from Manila, claimed to have been maltreated by her female employer, a certain Ahmed Saleem Marashdeh of Madaba Amman, Jordan.

She first sought help from Abante, a tabloid, which published her Facebook account in February in which she detailed her alleged abuses, including being starved and overworked by her employer.

“I’m not OK. It’s getting worse here… I need to go out of here before it gets too late. I can’t take it anymore. I hope I can get the assistance I need the soonest,” she had said.

Ombe was deployed by the World Class Inc. Agency last November  as a household service worker.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment said it had extended financial and livelihood assistance to the family of an OFW killed in Jordan last Feb. 5.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III personally delivered the aid to Natividad Dalupang, mother of Felma Dalupang Maramag, who was found dead along with her employer following a fire at her employer’s home.

Maramag was found with bruises all over her body and a stab wound in the skull, which was also cracked due to blunt force trauma. Her remains have been flown to Tuguegarao City and will be buried on Feb. 28, but it was not clear whether labor officials will pursue a case in Jordan.

The victim’s family received P220,000 financial assistance and scholarship assistance for her daughter Angelica from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), P50,000 from the recruitment agency, and P500,000 in life insurance.

The Owwa is also coordinating with Maramag’s family regarding the release of the victim’s P200,000 savings in the bank.