Bello says detained Kuwaiti employers of slain OFW to be charged soon

MANILA, Philippines — The Kuwaiti employers of Filipina domestic worker Jeanalyn Villavende who was allegedly beaten “black and blue” have been detained and will be facing charges soon, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Friday.

“The Kuwaiti ambassador…informed me that the couple, referring to the employers of Jeanalyn (Villavende), are now under detention and he said they will be charged soon,” Bello said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ “The Source.”

“I told the ambassador the moment that charge is filed then I can lift the partial deployment ban. Without that charge, I cannot. He looked very apologetic. I think they realized that masyado nang naapi yung ating mga kababayan dun (our workers are really being abused there),” he added.

Villavende was reportedly “black and blue” when she was brought to a hospital.

It was earlier believed that Villavende was allegedly killed by her employer’s wife.

“Although the initial report was ‘yun lang babae, sabi ko ’I cannot believe that a lady can kill another lady by just physical injuries.’ Kaya palagay ko pinoprotektahan niya yung husband niya,” he surmised.

(Although the initial report was it was only the female employer, I said ‘I cannot believe that a lady can kill another lady by just physical injuries.’ That’s why I think she was protecting her husband).

According to Bello, Villavende’s remains will be immediately repatriated once the forensic investigation is completed.

Bello said he told Kuwaiti Ambassador to Manila Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh that the President had been inclined to declare a total deployment ban on Kuwait.

“But I said I can convince our President to be satisfied with this partial deployment ban muna considering that the suspect(s) are under detention,” he said.

“Kaya lang (but)…they must be formally charged kasi (because) this is not the first time na may nangyari sa ating mga kababayan (that this kind of incident happened to our workers),” he said.

The Philippines had previously imposed a total deployment ban to Kuwait in 2018 following the death of Joanna Demafelis, a domestic worker whose body was found in a freezer. Her employer was later found guilty of murder.

The ban was lifted after the Philippines and Kuwait signed a labor agreement on the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Bello also said that he reprimanded Villavende’s local recruitment agency for supposedly failing to act on her request for repatriation due to alleged maltreatment and underpayment of salary.

“Dapat at first instance pinauwi niyo na. Yan ang trabaho ninyo. (At first instance you should have already repatriated her. That’s your job). The problem with you is akala niyo yung responsibiltiy niyo sa (you think your responsibility with the) OFW ends the moment they are deployed. It should be a continuing obligation,” he told Villavende’s local agency.

“I even told them frankly na ‘Do not be surprised if I will have your license suspended or worse canceled’,” he added.

Edited by MUF