Local businesswoman Lucia Panlaqui said in an interview that her niece Josielyn Panlaqui-Layug boarded a plane for home at about 9 p.m.in Riyadh last Wednesday. She was expected to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) late yesterday afternoon.
Josielyn had initially complained of physical abuse by her employer and was later deprived of any communication means with her relatives.
She was released by her employer and turned over to the Philippine embassy last Tuesday amid threat of police intervention. The employer had initially sought 25,000 in Saudi currency for her freedom.
The victim’s sister Jennifer Panlaqui said the recruitment agency Bison Management Corp. had helped ne
gotiate for the release of Josielyn. It is not known whether the agency had paid the amount being demanded by the employer.
Local relatives who were able to talk to Josielyn on the phone said she had almost lost hope and had wanted to die after she was deprived of any means to communicate with her family amid alleged physical abuses by her employer against her.
Josielyn left for Riyadh in June last year after signing a contract stipulating she would work as hairdresser at the Amber Tower Salon for Women. However, she landed as domestic helper in the residence of one Musfer Al-Qahtan.
