THE Malaysian policemen licked Iza, 17, as if she were ice cream. Rough, sandpaper tongues probed her lips, nipples and loins. All were determined not to miss a salty spot. Soon, the scorching Malaysian sun was serving as an evil spotlight to the public gang-rape that followed.

Iza was among hundred of illegal aliens shipped back to Tawi-tawi last week from Semporma, Malaysia. Her companion, Heidi, 58, said there were about 500 of them who were deported. Most were drug convicts and prostitutes.                              

“Kaawa-awa naman si Iza, kung kailan nakabalik sa Pilipinas saka pa namatay. Hindi na nakayanan ang pahirap sa kanya. Hinahataw kami ng batuta at pinapaso ng sigarilyo. Sa loob ng isang linggo, tatlong ulit siyang hinahatak sa kulungan ng mga babae ng mga pulis na at doon sa labas dinidilaan at pinipilahan,” cried Heide.

Heide revealed that they were treated and tortured like animals. They were also gang-raped for a year.

“Isang taon kaming inabuso at tinrato na parang hayup. Namatay si Iza pagdating namin sa Dipolog City. Gusto niya lang makabalik sa Pilipinas matapos siyang pilahan paulit-ulit ng mga pulis duon sa Sandakan. Pati ako hindi pinatawad,” bared Heide.

Heide and Iza were intercepted at a police checkpoint on bus, then sentenced by an immigration judge to three months imprisonment. Strangely, they were in jail for a year.

“Ang tawag nila sa lahat sa amin Bisaya, kahit saan ka galing sa Pinas, kikilalanin kang Bisaya. Akala nila lahat ng Bisaya mga pokpok, karaoke girls at masahista. Nagpunta raw ang mga Pinay duon para magpagamit,” Heide said.

While boarding from Penjara prison to Semporna, Tawau, Heide said policewomen hit them with nightsticks.

Iza died at a barangay hall in Dipolog City, where they were conveyed from Bungao, Tawi-Tawi to Zamboanga City on a ferry boat. They had to pay for their transportation without the help of the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD).

“Hindi kami tinulungan ng DSWD. Hindi kinuha sa Malaysia ang mga singsing namin pero sa Pilipinas kinuha, bayad daw ng pasahe papuntang Dipolog. Sa Dipolog, Hindi rin kami tinulungan ng DSWD kasi ’yung DSWD sa Bungao raw ang dapat tumulong sa amin,” Heide said.

When examined at the barangay hall just before she died, Iza showed evidence of advanced staged of venereal disease, apparently as a result of her sex ordeal.     “Maraming lumabas na nana sa kanyang ari maski noong patay na siya,” Heide added.

Heide carried Iza’s travel document issued by the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia dated  Feb. 10, 2011. It certifies that Iza was a Filipino citizen, although she was born to a Malaysian father.

“Hindi sila kinikilala kahit ang tatay nila ay Malaysiano. Kaya kapag nahuli sila ng Immigration, deretso sa kulungan,” said Heide, who has three children by a Malaysian Badjao.

Heide arrived in Malaysia with her five-year-old daughter almost 20 years ago via Zamboanga del Sur and worked at a plywood factory. She lived with a Malaysian Badjao by whom she has three children, now all “illegals” in Sandakan.

Heide said she reached Manila through the help of a radio station in Dipolog City.  In Manila, she went to GMA for help but was told by a receptionist to seek help at MMDA.