MANILA - Senators on Thursday grilled Riyadh labor attache Adam Musa during a joint hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee and the committee on labor and employment on the alleged sex-for-flight scandal. Senators chided Musa for not taking action even when a distressed overseas Filipino worker, Grace Sales (also known as Josie), complained that Musa's driver attempted to rape her right inside the labor office in August 2012. Sales worked as a janitress at Musa's office. Musa said he submitted a report about the incident but did not pursue further investigation when Sales accepted the driver's 3-month salary as settlement. He said he suspended his driver who eventually resigned. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile chided Musa for his inaction. "You are deployed as an employee of government to protect these people. Why did you not find out what's this problem settled by 3 months salary of your driver? Why did the driver settle anything? What was that-the attempted rape?" he asked. Musa acknowledged there was a misunderstanding between Sales and his driver but said he was unable to talk to Sales. "I know there was misunderstanding. According to her, she was harassed by Jojo. I did not have the opportunity to talk to her. Somebody was protecting her," he said. Sales was present at the hearing to narrate her story. Aside from the attempted rape by Musa's driver, she said she fled the Bahay Kalinga - a halfway house in Saudi Arabia - due to unbearable conditions. She said an unidentified sponsor provided her ticket. "Ang Saudi welfare na yon ang pinakamahirap puntahan sa Saudi. Doon yung walang pagkain, walang maisuot yung damit, kukunin lahat ng gamit mo, may kamera sa lahat ng kwarto. Konting kasalanan paparusahan ka. Hindi kami nagsusumbong nung una dahil yun yung panakot sa amin. Doon ako nagpasyang umalis pakiramdam ko mas safe ako sa Saudi kaysa kapwa Pilipino dahil mismong embassy panatag na ako... pero wala palang silbi kasi doon ako mapapahamak," she said. ANC Dateline Philippines, August 8, 2013
