The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced that it plans to take legal action against the service provider responsible for the repatriation of a body to the Philippines, after the family of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) confirmed that the remains brought home did not belong to their relative.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac revealed in a news forum that the service provider had sent a letter to the DMW, claiming that Kuwaiti authorities had misidentified the remains as those of Filipina Jenny Alvarado. “In the letter, the service provider said that the Kuwaiti authorities handed over the remains to them… They mentioned that there was no way to identify the body other than the name, as no family member was present,” Cacdac explained.
“We are consulting with our lawyers in Kuwait to determine what charges we can file and the potential liability of the service provider, so we can seek clarity and compensation for what happened,” Cacdac added.
Alvarado was found dead, along with two other foreign workers, inside the vacation house of their Kuwaiti employer. Initial investigations indicated that the three workers died from coal smoke inhalation. However, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is conducting an autopsy on Alvarado’s remains to determine if foul play was involved.
“The employer of Jenny, even with the NBI’s autopsy, we will also be looking into potential negligence,” the DMW chief said. “We’ve been in close contact with the family… I visited their home, apologized, and took full responsibility.”
Alvarado’s death comes just weeks after another tragic case in Kuwait, where Filipina OFW Dafnie Nacalaban was found buried in her employer’s backyard.
In light of the recent spate of OFW deaths in Kuwait, the DMW is reviewing whether to impose a new deployment ban on first-time OFWs traveling to the country. This follows a similar ban imposed in 2018 after several Filipina domestic workers were brutally murdered by their employers in Kuwait.
