A grieving family, expecting to receive the remains of their loved one from Kuwait, was shocked to discover they had been sent the wrong body.
According to a report by News 5, domestic worker Jenny Alvarado, an OFW, reportedly died on January 2 due to suffocation from inhaling smoke emitted by a heating system.
Two other co-workers, one from Nepal and another from Sri Lanka, also succumbed to the same incident.
When Alvarado’s body was sent to her family, they were shocked to discover it was not her.
It was later revealed that they had mistakenly received the remains of Alvarado’s Nepalese co-worker.
Foul play suspected
Although reports indicate that Alvarado and her co-workers died of suffocation, the Samahan ng mga DH sa Gitnang Silangan (SANDIGAN) alleges that they were intentionally suffocated.
Alvarado’s family has expressed concerns, claiming her body bore signs of physical trauma, including alleged bruises around her mouth.
“Samahan ng mga DH sa Gitnang Silangan (SANDIGAN) is calling on the DMW to urgently repatriate Jenny’s remains, conduct an immediate investigation on her death, and bring justice to the family,” the organization wrote in a Facebook post.
From 2018 to 2020, former President Rodrigo Duterte imposed a deployment ban to Kuwait following a series of OFW killings.
In May 2023, Kuwait retaliated by suspending all new visas for Philippine passport holders.
By June 2024, Kuwait lifted its visa ban, allowing the deployment of skilled Filipino workers, including domestic workers, to resume. Kuwaiti authorities also agreed to the Philippines’ proposal to limit the deployment of domestic workers to those with prior work experience.
