Philomena Bijlhout

Philomena Bijlhout (born 13 November 1957) is a Surinamese-born Dutch former politician and television presenter.

Bijlhout worked in television broadcasting in Suriname and later in the Netherlands. She worked as editor-in-chief and as a presenter for RTV Rijnmond. As a close associate of nationalist politician Pim Fortuyn, in 2002 she was recruited as a candidate for the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) party. She was elected as a member of the House of Representatives for the Pim Fortuyn List from 23 May 2002 until 22 July 2002, when she became State Secretary for Social Affairs and Work Opportunity in the first Balkenende cabinet. Bijlhout was the first female ethnic minority politician in the Netherlands to hold the position.[1] However, she resigned a few hours after being appointed, after television channel RTL 4 reported that she had been a member of a militia of Surinamese military dictator Dési Bouterse in 1982 and 1983. This was during the period when the militia had committed the political murders known as the "December murders". Bijlhout, who was born in Suriname, had never denied being part of the militia, but claimed she had left prior to the December murders.[2] She was succeeded by Khee Liang Phoa. Bijlhout claimed that when she stood down from the position of State Secretary, LPF leader Mat Herben had said she was welcome to remain in the House for the party; however, Bijlhout decided to stand down as an MP too, due to the intense media response to the controversy. After retiring from Dutch politics she became a reporter for the Surinamese newspaper De Ware Tijd, and later became a social worker in Rotterdam.[3]