Friends rescue a maltreated OFW in Kuwait

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Kuwait was rescued by her friends after her employer kept her locked up in a house for two days.

Jam Sisante-Cayco's report on GMA's 24 Oras on Tuesday showed how help was extended by fellow OFWs to Arna Ayunan.

Honie Grace Cortez dela Cerna and Regina Valdez risked their own jobs and safety when they lowered down a plastic bag--containing a cellphone, portable wi-fi and food--from the rooftop of a building to the window where Ayunan was peeking through.

The video was taken on October 15.

According to dela Cerna and Valdez, Ayunan was maltreated by her employer. She was not compensated for the last four months and was not allowed to go home to the Philippines when her husband died on April.

Hours after the video was taken, Ayunan was given permission by her employer to go home.

She, however, received only a month's worth of salary.

The rescued OFW, who hails from Maguindanao, is now in the Philippines.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait has reached out to the concerned foreign recruitment agency to get an incident report.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) also noted that illegal confinement and other abuses are among the reasons some Filipinos ask to be repatriated from Kuwait since 2017.

Over 225,000 Filipinos are in Kuwait, according to data from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). — Dona Magsino/BAP, GMA News