Pinay helper's killing a test for Kuwait's compliance to deal with Philippines —solon

The killing of Filipina domestic worker Jeanelyn Villavende will serve as a test for the Kuwaiti government's compliance to the agreement it entered with the Philippines in protecting the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), a lawmaker said Thursday.

In a statement, ACT-CIS party-list Representative Eric Go Yap said Villavende's death is not only a blatant disregard of the Kuwait-Philippines agreement but also of human dignity as well.

"Dito natin masusubok ngayon kung talagang may mangyayari sa agreement natin sa kanila matapos ang deployment ban na in-enforce ng Pilipinas noong nakaraang taon," he said.

"Dapat maparusahan ang gumawa nito sa ating kababayan at gumulong ang hustisya sa kasong ito," he added.

On May 11, 2018, Philippines and Kuwait inked an agreement to protect the welfare of the Filipino overseas workers in the Middle Eastern state following the death of household service worker Joanna Demafelis.

Among the provisions of the deal were OFWs should have a day off and get at least seven hours of sleep daily and their passports should no longer be confiscated by their employers.

"Our OFWs are the most sought after workers in the world at hindi tayo papayag na para tayong nagmamakaawa at titiisin ang mga hindi makatarungang pagtrato sa kanila para lamang kumita ng pera," Yap said.

"Maraming ibang bansa dyan na igagalang ang dignidad ng ating mga kababayan at igagalang ang kanilang karapatan. Anong nangyari sa agreement ng Kuwait at Pilipinas? Ilang Jeanelyn Villavende pa o Joanna Demafelis ang magdurusa?" he added.

Yap said that if Villavende's case will not be resolved properly, he is willing to "roll a dice" and even push for an "irrevocable" permanent deployment ban in Kuwait.

"I will be closely monitoring this case and I will do everything in my power to push for a permanent deployment ban if this case goes nowhere," he said.

Villavende was allegedly killed by her employer's wife in Kuwait.

OWWA administrator Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, in a Dobol B sa News TV interview on Wednesday, said the slain domestic helper was already planning to quit her job and return to the Philippines this month.

She also had complained that her salary was lower than what she had been receiving, Cacdac added.

Following Villevende's killing, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced on Thursday that the Philippines will impose a partial deployment ban to Kuwait, covering only first-time domestic workers and not returning OFWs and first-time skilled workers. —LDF, GMA News