Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III is still pushing for high level talks and consultations with states in the Middle East following news of the conviction of the couple responsible for the death of Joanna Demafelis, an OFW in Kuwait found stuffed inside a freezer in February.
In a statement, Pimentel said that much still needs to be done to ensure the safety and welfare of Pinoy workers in the Gulf States.
“We’re thankful that justice has been served for Joanna. Our task now is to ensure that such incidents never happen again. We need further high level talks and consultations with our countrymen’s host states in the Middle East to ensure that diplomatic, administrative and legal mechanisms are in place for OFW protection,” Pimentel said.
Pimentel also expressed confidence that relations between the Philippines and Kuwait will normalize following the latest development in Demafelis’ case.
According to reports, a Kuwaiti court has recently sentenced a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife to death by hanging for the murder of Demafelis.
President Rodrigo Duterte has already issued an order to verify the reports.
