Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are calling for an investigation into the suspicious death of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Kuwait.
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed House Resolution 2151 to probe the killing of his constituent, Dafnie Nacalaban.
“It was reported that the suspect in her killing was said to have also killed his Filipina girlfriend a few months earlier,” Rodriguez said in a statement on January 7.
He urged the Kuwaiti government to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation and to improve employment terms for OFWs.
Nacalaban, a household service worker in Kuwait since 2019, had planned to return to the Philippines in December but was reported missing in October. After three months, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that her body was found buried in her employer’s house.
Rodriguez emphasized that this tragedy is not an isolated case, as there have been increasing reports of abuse, maltreatment, and deaths of OFWs.
OFW Rep. Marissa Magsino also voiced support for the inquiry, calling on the DFA and the Department of Migrant Workers to strengthen protections for workers abroad.
“Lubos kong ikinalulungkot at kinokondena ang malagim na pagkamatay ng isang kababayan natin sa Kuwait, na nagdulot ng galit at pangungulila sa ating mga kababayan, partikular sa Cagayan de Oro,” Magsino said, expressing deep sadness and condemnation over the tragedy.
She added, “This incident shows again the dangers that our workers face abroad, especially in places where protection for their safety and rights is lacking.”
