Benhur Abalos (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benhur Abalos is heartbroken over reports that the sister of Mary Jane Veloso had experienced alleged sexual abuse at the hands of her employer in Saudi Arabia.

Abalos, a lawyer by profession, called on concerned government offices to immediately extend assistance to Veloso’s sister and her family. Veloso’s sister is working as a domestic helper in the Middle East.

‘’Tayo ay nalulungkot dahil isa na namang kababayan natin ang napaulat na nakakaranas ng pangaabuso mula sa kamay ng dayuhan nilang amo," Abalos said.

(We are saddened because another one of our countrymen have been reported to experience abuse at the hands of her foreign employer.)

"I hope our concerned government offices will address this and help the sister of Mary Jane Veloso,’’ said the aspiring senator.

‘’Tulungan natin siyang makauwi dito sa ating bansa at makapagsimula muli ng bagong buhay,’’ he said.

(Let's help her get home to our country so that she may start a new life.)

If he wins a Senate seat in the mid-term elections next year, Abalos said he would prioritize providing more job opportunities to Filipinos so that they would no longer be forced to look for employment abroad.

The plight of Veloso’s sister was already reported to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

According to DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, the labor attaché in Saudi Arabia will immediately reach and extend assistance to Veloso’s sister.

Veloso is an alleged Filipino drug mule who was arrested in Indonesia in 2010. She was supposed to be executed by various appeals from Manila saved her life. 

President Marcos has said that Veloso is expected to come back home soon.