Robredo on OFW death in Kuwait: Make sure it won’t happen again

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday calls for a thorough study of the measure that will address the recurring killings of overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait.

OFW Jeanelyn Villavende was allegedly killed by her employer’s wife in Kuwait recently. Reports indicated that Villavende was "black and blue" and "already dead" when she was rushed to the hospital.

“Dapat siguruhin na hindi na siya mangyayari sa susunod,” she said in her radio program.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced the implementation of partial deployment ban to Kuwait in light of the incident.

Robredo pointed out that, in 2018, the government already enforced a suspension of OFW deployment to Kuwait following the death of Pinoy worker Joanna Demafelis, but the killings keep on happening.

“Nagkaroon na rin ng ganito, na-suspend siya 2018, noong namatay naman si Joanna… Kailangan talagang pag-aralan ito dahil kahit na na-suspend siya, nagkaroon ng memorandum of agreement, nangyari na naman,” she said.

In 2018, the Philippines and Kuwait signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the protection of Filipino workers in the Gulf state.

“Hindi talaga nasusunod,” Robredo said.

On Friday, ACTS-OFW party-list chair John Bertiz called on the government to impose a total deployment ban on household workers to Kuwait, instead of partial. —Joviland Rita/LBG, GMA News