Foul play? DFA urges PH Embassy in Kuwait to probe into Jenny Alvarado's death

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has instructed the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to work on the investigation into the possibility of foul play in the death of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jenny Alvarado last January 2.

"I just instructed Ambassador Jose Cabrera in Kuwait to work with the Migrant Workers now...to check with the police authorities for possibility of negligence or foul play," DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said during Tuesday's Senate Migrant Workers panel hearing.

De Vega announced this after Senator Raffy Tulfo said he believes that there was foul play in the death of Alvarado after hearing the testimonies of the latter's daughters — Nathania and Angel.

"Imbestigahan natin DMW and OWWA and DFA 'yung anggulong foul play. Ayan na oh. Kinukulong, hinihipuan, 'di pinapakain nang maayos. 'Yun na lang, may motibo na. Siguro pwedeng ginawa ng amo para patahimikin na siya, walain na siya, walain ang problema kasi malaking problema ang darating," Tulfo said.

[Let us look into the foul play angle. Locked up, being touched, not being fed well. There's a motive. Maybe to silence her, something must be done ... since more trouble might be forthcoming.]

According to Angel, it was impossible for her mother to have died due to coal smoke inhalation because the OFW's sense of smell was sensitive.

"Pinaka-hate po ni mama 'yung faham (charcoal) kasi may sensitive smell po siya. Magigising po 'yun sa baho ng amoy at hate niya rin po 'yung amoy ng mga isda. So imposible na hindi nagising ang mama namin that time," Angel Alvarado Calisin told the Senate panel.

[She hates faham because she has sensitive smell. She wil wake up due to foul smell and she hates the smell of fish. So it's impossible that she didn't wake up that time.]

"Dapat po ang agency po ang nagsasabi sa amin na patay na ang mama namin pero actually po 'yung amo niya po ang nag-declare na patay na 'yung mama namin. Gamit pa po ng amo niya is 'yung cellphone ng mama ko at account ng mama ko," she added.

[It should be her agency telling us that she's dead. But it was her employer who told us of her death, using our mom's phone and account.]

Angel further claimed that there is proper ventilation in the room where her mother was staying on January 1 and she mentioned the windows that she saw during her virtual conversation with the OFW.

Years before Alvarado's death, Angel said that her mother was being locked up by her employer whenever the latter leaves the house.

Apart from this, Angel said her mother was being scolded whenever she was eating and was being threatened by her employers that she will not get her entire salary if she will not come back to Kuwait.

"Lagi po siyang kinokontrata kapag uuwi ng Pinas. Sasabihin po na kapag hindi ka bumalik dito, hindi ko ibibigay yung buong sahod mo," Angel shared.

[She was always being forced to enter into a contract whenever she would be going home to the Philippines. She would be told that if ever she will not go back to Kuwait, she will never receive her whole salary.]

Nathania, for her part, told the committee that they were informed of the sexual abuses that their mother suffered at the hands of her employer.

"'Yung mga kaibigan niya po...sinasabi daw po ay 'yung amo niya is hinihipuan din siya kasi 'yung nanay namin ay hindi nagsasabi sa amin kasi ayaw niya iparamdam samin na nahihirapan siya don," she said.

"Naglilihim po 'yung nanay namin para hindi kami mag-alala tapos sa close friends niya, dun niya sinasabi," she added.

[It was her close friends who told us our mom was being touched by her employer. Our mother wouldn't tell us since she doesn't want us to worry.]

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they will look into the testimonies of Nathania and Angel as they are eyeing to file a case against the Kuwaiti employers of Jenny.

"We will take the statements of the children in consideration lalo na 'yung sinasabing nakausap nila 'yung nanay nila and as I said, may isusulong po tayong kaso dun sa Kuwait laban sa employer [we will file a case against the employer]," Cacdac told the Senate panel. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News