Pinay Who Fell from Building Leaves Hospital
Maxxy Santiago, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau
Posted at 12/19/15 1:27 PM
KUWAIT – A Filipina household service worker, who spent almost two months in the hospital after being comatose following a fall from a building, is now out of the hospital.
Melirose Balagosa is slowly recovering from a broken jaw, knee, and fractured pelvis after she fell from the 4th floor of a building last October 6.
“Masaya po, kasi parang naramdam ko po, meron na akong freedom kasi may kasama ako, mas na-comfort ako,” she said.
Balagosa recalled that on that fateful day, she and her female employer were arguing, as the later wanted to confiscate her cellphone.
“Habang sa pagtatalo namin, sa agaw-agaw ng cellphone at saka susi, nagtawag siya kay Baba na tulungan siya dahil daw nagtalo… Sa sobra ko nang takot nagpunta po ako ng terrace, kaya ayun nalaglag po ako,” she said.
Balagosa said she also suffered at the hands of her female employer and her employer’s daughter.
“Dati po sinaktan po nila ako… binabawasan po nila sahod… bawasan ka pa… sampalin ka pa,” she said.
When Balagosa was discharged from the hospital, her employer’s daughter suddenly arrived to get her. She brought a ticket for Balagosa to the Philippines.
However, the Philippine embassy intervened and refused to hand over the Pinay to her.
A case against her employer will be pursued.
“Napakalinaw sa kanyang pagkatestigo na hinahabol siya or apparently nagkaroon siya ng malaking takot dahil before that, nagkaroon siya ng beatings at maltreatment. Dahil sa ating batas at sa batas ng ibang mga bansa, that’s manslaughter, attempted… so maximum legal effort that we will pursue,” said Consul General Raul Dado.
Balagosa is now staying at the embassy shelter in Hateen.
“Unang-una po, nagpapasalamat ako sa Panginoon ng second chance na mabuhay… Hindi po niya ako pinabayaan. Hindi po ako namatay. Nagpapasalamat ako sa agency, sa embassy, sa mga taong tumutulong sa akin, sa lahat ng mga Pilipino na nagdasal para sa akin,” she said.
The OFW will be celebrating her birthday on December 26.
“Birthday wish ko, unang-una gusto ko po makatayo at makapaglakad at makauwi lang po sa Pilipinas sa pamilya, yon lang po ang gusto ko,” she said.