The recruitment agency at the center of an abuse case involving an Oman-based Filipino worker has issued a public statement saying the worker appeared at a government welfare office and partially retracted allegations her family had made on her behalf.
Modern National GATE, a manpower recruitment agency based in Muscat, posted the statement on April 22 — five days after Senator Raffy Tulfo raised Fatima Villarin Doniña’s case on his program and directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to carry out a same-day rescue.
According to the agency, Fatima presented herself at the MWO-OWWA (POLO) Muscat office on April 22, where she “clarified her statements, including those made by her and her family, and confirmed that certain allegations against our agency were not accurate.” The meeting was attended by an OWWA welfare officer. The agency did not specify which allegations were disputed or provide further details on what Fatima said.
The agency said Fatima had left its accommodation on January 10, 2026 — a detail that places her departure more than three months before her case went public. Her family, who appeared on Raffy Tulfo in Action on April 17, said they had last been able to reach her in December 2025 and February 2026.
During her video call interview with Senator Tulfo on April 17, Fatima broke down while describing how the agency had repeatedly denied her requests to be transferred to a different employer despite her accounts of physical abuse and three months of unpaid wages. She also said her former employer was threatening to file a runaway case against her and have her blacklisted. Photographs she sent to the program showed visible swelling on her face.
Her mother Rollen and sister Glenda had traveled from Culasi, Iloilo to seek help after the agency, according to the family, refused multiple requests to retrieve Fatima’s passport from her former employer.
In its April 22 statement, Modern National GATE did not address the passport dispute or the abuse allegations directly. It called on the public and social media users to verify information before posting, saying “misinformation can greatly affect the lives of individuals involved.”
OWWA Director Atty. Sherilyn Malonzo had committed on April 17 to handling Fatima’s repatriation papers and targeting her return to the Philippines within two weeks. She also said the agency was prepared to provide legal assistance for any complaint Fatima might pursue against her former employers.
The agency’s statement said Fatima is now returning to the Philippines to reunite with her family.
