QOTW : Blow The Whistle Initiative - Saving a Family Relationship

Have a nice day everyone!

I was thinking twice before I decided to blow my whistle today. I'm hesitant if I need to tell it to the world but for this initiative, it opened up my mind and better to tell the untold story behind.

Credit to @ecotrain, the logo of the contest that I grabbed.

I had been telling you all about my life since I started joining the blockchain. I am so vocal to open my experiences from home and here in my workplace based on what I observed.

Today, seeing the question of @ecotrain is very intriguing, and willing to share what I had been blowing the whistle before.

Saudi Arabia is a very conservative country. At first, I had no ambition of coming here but destiny brought me not knowing that I found myself comfortable living for two decades.

In the first two years of living here, I appreciated how people live in abundance. I also loved how they gave the secrecy to all-female and not showing their posture in public. I thought people here were all highly respected and proud of being a part of this society. I thought that there was no fouled and indecent behavior of the people but I was wrong after finding some mysterious action from the expatriates who abuses.

Time had passed by, I met some friends coming from my country. I met them when we had the same flight during my vacation.

Hidden lifestyle of expatriates

In a certain corner of the airport in the Philippines, I noticed a couple with their child. They never arrived at the same time. The woman came with the child and after a couple of an hour, a man was coming up and joined her. In that scenario, I didn't give importance at all. What I had in my mind was, I felt jealous of having their child going abroad. Fast forward, we traveled with the same flight and a connecting flight from the mainland to the province as our final destination.

The 2 years old baby boy was too cute. Being a Filipina and they were also Filipinos, I came and made a friendship. Before we departed each other, they asked for my phone number and we became friends. They were my first Filipino friends here. Most of my friends were Indonesian and few Filipinos were working as household workers.

One day, they invited me to a birthday party. I went there and found her pregnant again. Their relationship was perfect. I was then so happy that I can attend a party.

Unknowingly, the man had a family back home with three children. Unbelievable! After giving birth to their second baby, they decided to go to the Philippines for good. Living here was not a problem but the future education of the children would be the priority. The international school was expensive and the husband was only a car mechanic. So, they had no choice rather than leaving her husband here in Saudi Arabia.

Not contented without a wife

The family moved to the Philippines together and the man came back again. We had no communication anymore but the wife in the Philippines was always sending a message to me. She told me that her husband had changed. Yes, he sent money for support but the affection was no longer the same way as before. My friend was the second wife.

Later on, we found out that the man had a new relationship with someone working in the other city of Saudi Arabia. My friend knew it from the co-worker of his husband.

Accidentally, I met them on the fish market so sweet. I was shocked but I didn't tell my friend in the Philippines about what I found out on that day. I didn't want to be a part of their arguments and I knew that my friend already noticed the changes in his husband.

Since the 3rd party was working in the other city, the man was so freely having another woman again in my workplace. I felt pity for the 3rd wife because she was too young and could be a victim of that man again.

The 3rd woman became my friend also in messenger. I kept my mouth shut up and didn't tell anything to both the two women. It was too late when I was supposed to expose the behavior of the man he trusted, she was already pregnant and not living together with the man. They had no legal papers and they could be in jail for the offense they did in this country. The 2nd wife had their marriage contact which was done under the table. I knew it was faked because the man had a first wife and children.

The 3rd wife was the real victim of all. While she was still pregnant, the man was already with another woman again for the 4th time. The culprit was freely looking for victims now and then.

I started blowing my whistle

I didn't take it anymore, my silence made my conscience so heavy burden to myself. How if I was in their situation? How many women and children would be the victim of this kind of flesh greedy man?

On the day that the 3rd wife was in labor, she called me and asked me to tell the man to visit her because she had already the pain and signed of her labor. It was the day she was giving birth to their first child. My workplace and the city are too far and need 8 hours for driving reaching there.

My God, the mobile phone of the man was off while his victim was in the hospital. I wanted to slap the man but I am a woman that could not go outside alone. My boss didn't allow me to go outside unless it would be for a market in the nearby store.

I felt worried about the 3rd wife but with the helped of some Filipino community and nurses, she survived and hide the story from the government. They faked everything for the safety of the mother and new baby boy.

After two weeks after giving birth to her son, I talked to her and the man. I opened the story of that man which I learned from the 2nd wife. The 3rd wife didn't stop crying. It was too early to tell her but I found it better than hiding it over and over. I told the man that if he didn't support the 3rd wife and their son, I would report him to the police and file a case against him. Being a woman, I felt the devastation happened in their life. It was too dangerous. The baby would be taken away from them and put them in prison with 1000 lashes in public. The government has a major punishment to all offenders according to the law.

After my whistleblowing, the man became a better person to the two women in his life. He also giving full support to all his children. He eventually had grandchildren now.

The last 4th woman had given way and considered her as a victim also. The important thing that she was already aware of the man before they got a child. I also warned the 4th woman to keep away from the man or else, I would call the police to catch them up on the spot.

I was so disappointed with my fellow Filipinos who did it here. I didn't believe it before but I saw and observed it with my own eyes. It is not only the Filipinos who are doing like these but almost expatriates have illicit relationships. Some people are going straight and just enjoy working 24 hours.

Imagine, how I appreciated this place but ruined by the immorality of the expatriate. It is a disgusting part but we are human and it is normal to commit a mistake. We could not learn more if we could not realize that wrongdoing.

Blowing a whistle is a must to every citizen being a great part of the community. Don't just be silent. There is an exact place to keep in our silence!

Salute to all whistleblower! Truth must be revealed and don't be afraid.

Thank you!

Gif credit to @gremayo