DESPITE the brutal killing of another household service worker (HSW) in Kuwait, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is unlikely to impose another deployment ban for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East state.
But DMW Secretary Susan Ople said a review of the 2018 bilateral labor agreement between the Philippines and Kuwait might be necessary.
“We don’t see the need for a deployment ban because the Kuwaiti government has been cooperating with our Embassy, and the suspect is already under police custody within 24 hours,” Ople said days after the burnt body of HSW Jullebee Ranara, 35, was discovered in a Kuwaiti desert.
“We need to discuss reforms that may be necessary. Our bilateral labor agreement is up for negotiations,” Ople said in a radio interview.
Among the possible reforms, she said, are provisions provided under the labor pact between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“We may copy the formula of our labor agreement with Saudi Arabia, which has more guarantees for the safety of our workers,” said Ople.
Last Sunday, Kuwait media reported the discovery of the burnt remains of Ranara, who was also pregnant. The DNA samples collected from her remains matched with that of a 17-year-old Kuwaiti, who had been arrested.
Ople said the suspect was identified by a Philippine recruitment agency as Turkey Obaid Al-Ajmi, 17, son of Ranara’s employers.
“According to the mother of Jullebee, the son of the employer is cruel to her. In fact, there was even one time that he threatened her life,” Ople related after personally meeting Ranara’s family.
Ople also said they are working for the repatriation of Ranara’s remains as soon as possible.
“We don’t see any hindrances that can delay the repatriation of (her) remains. It is already being handled by our labor attaché and welfare officer in Kuwait,” she said, adding they are set to provide a wide range of assistance to those left behind by the 35-year old HSW, an active member of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
“Since she is an active member, we will provide death and burial assistance, scholarship for her four children, and full amount of the mandatory insurance to be given to her family,” said Ople.
She added the Department of Foreign Affairs is working in close coordination with Kuwaiti prosecutors and police authorities.
“We have seen the cooperation and actions of the Kuwaiti government, especially on the aspect of police investigation leading to the prosecution of the case,” said Ople.
OPLE AT SENATE
Under the bilateral agreement with KSA, the DMW and Saudi’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development formed a technical working group to monitor the implementation of labor reforms, implement a blacklist of Saudi recruitment agencies and employers, revise the Standard Employment of OFWs to reflect all guarantees under the Saudi Reform Initiatives, including insurance for unpaid wages, timely release of salaries through electronic payments, and pre-termination clause.
Ople, after attending a hearing of the committee on economic affairs to tackle proposed Senate Bill No. 129 or the National Employment Recovery Strategy in the Senate, said they are looking for additional safeguards to make sure workers bound for Kuwait are better protected. She said that can only be done with the cooperation of the Kuwaiti government
“We saw on the ground that the Kuwaiti government was quick to act, with the suspect arrested. He will soon be indicted for the crime. We’re not contemplating the suspension of deployment to Kuwait, but yes, we are looking at additional safeguards to make sure (Filipino) workers bound for Kuwait are better protected,” she said.
Ranara was the latest OFW to be killed in Kuwait. In 2020, Jeanelyn Villavende, another HSW, was found dead in Kuwait, allegedly brutally killed by her employers.
Ople said the Kuwaiti government should not be faulted for the crime committed by the suspect since “there is no country or person in his right mind who would welcome such behavior.”
Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada said the Philippine and Kuwaiti governments apparently have not provided the much-needed protection for OFWs under the 2018 labor agreement.
“Regardless of the agreement reached between the two governments, we still failed to shield our kababayans from abusive employers,” Estrada said in a privilege speech.
“What appears to be lacking though is a mechanism for monitoring the conditions of our OFWs and the screening of would-be employers to further assure our kababayans that they will not end up in the hands of exploitative and vicious individuals,” he said.
Estrada also said he received information that Ranara’s recruitment agency is facing 12 recruitment violation cases, seven of them still pending before the adjudication bureau of the DMW.
He said the agency should have been suspended to operate.
Estrada identified the agency as PRA Catalist International Manpower Services Company, and Ranara’s direct employer as Owayed Juhaish Methei Alazmi. — With Raymond Africa
