Palace ‘outraged’ by rape of OFW in Kuwait

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang expressed its outrage by the rape of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Kuwait and assured government assistance to the family of the victim.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has reported that a Kuwaiti police raped and assaulted an OFW, adding to the long list of abuse against Filipino workers in the Gulf State.

READ: Arrest warrant issued vs Kuwaiti police officer who raped Filipina — DFA      

“We’re certainly outraged by that,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

Panelo added that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III was already “responding to that incident.”

The government had earlier imposed a labor ban on OFWS going to Kuwait following the death and abuses of Filipino workers there.

READ: Duterte: OFW ban to Kuwait permanent

He even urged the 260,000 Filipinos working in Kuwait, most of are domestic helpers, to return home.

The ban was later lifted after the Philippines and Kuwait signed a memorandum of agreement to  protect OFWs in the Gulf State. (Editor: Julie Espinosa)

READ: PH, Kuwait sign MOA to protect OFWs