23 pardoned Filipinos from Kuwait return to PH

MANILA, Philippines—Twenty-three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who were jailed for various crimes in Kuwait, were successfully repatriated to the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

One of the Filipino workers was Minerva V. Tayag, who was charged with murder and imprisoned for five years and five months.

“Through the constant requests of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait for Amiri Pardons of sentenced OFWS, OFW Tayag was one of the fortunate Filipinos who were granted Amiri Pardon during the National Day of Kuwait in February 2012,” the statement said.

In 2007, a Kuwaiti court found Tayag, a Filipina from Pampanga, guilty of killing her boyfriend, Rolando Casulang, who was working as an X-ray technician in a military hospital in Kuwait.

The DFA, in the statement, also noted that Muammar Hassand and Musa Ibrahim, both Assistance to National officers from the DFA, were able to visit Tayag and the 22 others before their flight last August 13.

The repatriates boarded two flights: the first was by Emirates Air and arrived in Manila on August 14 at 4:35 p.m. The second flight, were Tayag was on board, arrived in Manila on the same day at 10:10 p.m.