THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday said it is closely monitoring the investigation in the death of another Filipino household service worker (HSW) in Kuwait, as labor revived calls for a partial deployment ban on the tiny oil-rich kingdom.
In a statement, DOLE identified the victim as Jeanelyn Padernal Villavende, who was allegedly killed by her Kuwaiti employer.
“The department looks forward to the swift resolution of the case and [hopes] that justice will be served to Villavende and her family,” DOLE said.
It said the incident was “a clear violation of the agreement signed by both Kuwait and the Philippines in 2018, that seeks to uphold and promote the protection of the rights and welfare of our workers in the Gulf state.”
In 2018, DOLE temporarily stopped the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) bound for Kuwait, after the death of HSW Joanna Demafelis, whose remains were found stuffed in a freezer at her Lebanese employer’s house in Kuwait. The deployment ban was only lifted after the Philippine-Kuwait memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed later that year.
Pending deployment ban?
On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a statement of condemnation on the incident. It summoned the Kuwaiti ambassador to protest “the seeming lack of protection” of OFWs in Kuwait, despite the signed MOU.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) also expressed its frustration over the MOU, which it said is “not working.”
TUCP President Raymond Mendoza urged authorities to impose a partial deployment ban to Kuwait.
“The Philippine government has no other choice but to send a strong reaction like it did last year in the wake of gruesome deaths of Filipino workers there by suspending immediately the deployment of Filipino household service workers and organize their voluntary repatriation of workers from Kuwait,” Mendoza said in a statement.
“The Philippine government must compel the Kuwaiti government to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice, and make them accountable for the death of our OFW,” he added.
Villavende was the second HSW reported to have been killed by her employer after Demafelis.
Last May, Constancia Lago Dayag was also said to have been murdered by her employer, which prompted DOLE to issue a statement that it is considering reimposing the deployment ban for Kuwait.
However, it deferred deciding on the matter until the completion of the investigation on Dayag’s case.
The BusinessMirror tried to get the side of officials from DOLE and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) as to whether a deployment ban will finally be issued in Kuwait following Villavende’s death.
However, as of Tuesday afternoon, they had yet to respond on the matter.
Singapore crash victims
In a related development, DOLE said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) is now facilitating the repatriation of the remains of two OFWs who died when a rampaging car hit several bystanders in Singapore last Sunday.
“The Philippine Overseas Labor Office is closely coordinating with the employer and next of kin of the two victims on the repatriation of their remains to the Philippines,” DOLE said.
It said Polo will also help the four other OFWs who were injured when the black sedan, driven by a 64-year-old man, jumped the curb and plowed into a ramp outside Lucky Plaza, the favorite gathering place of Filipinos on Sundays.
Aside from Polo’s intervention, DOLE said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) will also provide additional aid to the six OFWs and their families.
“Owwa will provide burial assistance to the deceased OFWs, as well as livelihood assistance and scholarship grants to their family members. Meanwhile, the families of the injured OFWs will also receive livelihood and scholarship assistance from Owwa,” DOLE said.