OFW accused of stealing a diamond wedding ring to be home soon

A female overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was accused of purportedly stealing her employer’s diamond wedding ring worth 375,000 Saudi rials, roughly equivalent to P4.4-M, will be released and repatriated soon, according to Migrante-Middle East (M-ME), a Filipino migrants rights’ group actively providing assistance to distressed OFWs.

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona, on a statement, identified the OFW who was given an alias ‘Rosalinda’, 29 years old, a native of Pililla, Rizal province.

OFW Rosalinda managed to call M-ME’s Monterona asking for assistance as she has been accused of stealing her employer’s diamond wedding ring.

“Napagbintangan po akong magnakaw ng wedding ring worth 375,000 rials. Di ko po talaga ginawa iyon,” Rosalinda told Monterona during the conversation.

Monterona said that he was convinced that OFW Rosalinda did not commit the crime hurled against her.

“We gathered more information from POLO-OWWA official handling her case and other individuals who are privy to the accusation and she swearing to us that she did not steal her employer’s wedding ring were enough reasons for us to believe that she had indeed never committed the crime,” he averred.

Monterona said his group immediately coordinated with the POLO-OWWA officials in Dammam, eastern part of Saudi Arabia, and with the officers of the Saudi Social Welfare Agency (SSWA) branch in Dammam, where Rosalinda has been temporarily seeking refuge.

Monterona said Rosalinda told him that she was brought to Dammam Central jail only for five days, after which she was transferred to SSWA sometime in July.

On August 17, Monterona said he received a short message (SMS) from OFW Rosalinda stating “Everything is settled Sir John. This week, by God’s will, I’ll be home in the Philippines. Thank you.”

“I immediately called her as I am so glad to read her SMS and eager to talk with her over the phone about the good news. She confirmed to me that the SSWA helped mediate with her employer,” Monterona added.

Monterona quoting OFW Rosalinda who told him that her employer agreed to withdraw the case filed against her after SWWA officials promised that it will arrange to raise an amount as payment for the ‘lost’ wedding ring.

“It’s a lucky break for her! We and her family seem to be hopeless since a formal complaint had already been filed in Court,” Monterona disclosed.

“In behalf of the family of OFW Rosalinda, we would like to convey our sincere appreciation to SSWA officials in Dammam who helped her gain her freedom and her eventual repatriation. After all she never committed a crime, so she must be freed!” Monterona concluded.