Lebanon Evacuation

MANILA–While the clock ticked toward the New Year, more than 100 Filipino domestic helpers sought refuge at the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, awaiting their transfer to the Lebanese Emigration Detention Center where their cases will be heard.

Beginning this month, the Philippine Embassy will be turning over to the Lebanese government custody of Filipino workers who had run away from their employers for reasons that included maltreatment, molestation, nonpayment of salaries and abominable working conditions, the Philippine Daily Inquirer learned over the weekend from a well-placed source in Lebanon who asked not to be identified for security reasons.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the report, saying the transfer was part of the "coordination" of the Filipino workers' cases with the Lebanese emigration bureau.

"They cannot leave until the (Lebanese) government evaluates their cases, settles with their employers, processes their clearances; and [only then] would they finally be given an exit pass," acting foreign spokesperson Ed Malaya told the Inquirer in a phone interview Sunday.

Without the "coordination," the domestic helpers might not be permitted to leave by the Lebanese government, Malaya added.

The downside is the average stay of a Filipino worker in a detention center while her case is being heard is one month. Quoting embassy figures, Malaya said there were 101 Filipino workers currently staying at the embassy. The Inquirer source said there were 117.

This was a substantial increase in the number of Filipino domestic workers awaiting coordination proceedings following last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, which saw thousands of Filipino domestic workers fleeing the trouble in droves.

"There's an ongoing fear and reluctance, which I think is valid, for them to go to the Emigration Detention Center," the Inquirer source said.

Already traumatized by their experiences with their employers, the domestic helpers feared they would be subjected to harassment and intimidation at the detention center.

The Filipino workers said they would rather remain at the embassy while their cases were being heard rather than a detention center.

Each worker also had a common plea: Please get us home.

The source said that a Lebanese government regulation required that Filipino runaways be turned over to Lebanese authorities within 24 hours of arriving at the embassy.

At the detention center, the Filipino workers would be guarded by Lebanese police and could be questioned by Lebanese lawyers "without the presence of an embassy official or lawyer," the source said.

The source added that those domestic helpers whose cases were being handled by Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center, a non-government organization that helped migrant workers, were luckier because the group ensured that a lawyer was present during an investigation.

"But Caritas only handles hard cases like rape, unpaid salaries with maltreatment and molestation that were brought to their attention immediately, that is, within hours of [the crime] when marks are still fresh," the source said.

While the Philippines is bound to follow the Lebanese regulation, Malaya said the government assured the Filipino workers that "every case coordinated with the Lebanese emigration authorities would be given full consular attention."

"We will have access to our nationals because this is provided for under the Vienna convention," Malaya said.