Lawmakers are calling on the House of Representatives to investigate the mishandling of the repatriation of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jenny Alvarado’s remains from Kuwait to the Philippines.
Members of the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 2213 on Monday, requesting the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs to conduct an inquiry.
Gabriela Party-list Representative Arlene Brosas questioned how Alvarado’s body was mistakenly swapped, noting that the remains initially sent to the Philippines belonged to a Nepali national. She said Alvarado’s family was not properly informed or consulted in identifying the remains before the repatriation.
“We need an investigation into this mix-up. The family should have been the first to be informed and asked to identify the body, but that did not happen. Instead, they were just made to sign documents stating that Jenny’s remains were arriving,” Brosas said.
The lawmaker also raised concerns over the actions taken by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regarding the case.
Alvarado’s family is requesting a second autopsy by an independent party, as they await the NBI’s findings, which may take up to two months. Her daughter, Angel, expressed suspicions of foul play, citing visible bruises on her mother’s body and signs of possible abuse.
“My mother had a lot of bruises… I believe she was harmed. Even in her private areas, there are indications that something happened to her against her will,” she said.
Meanwhile, the DMW announced plans to file charges against the service provider responsible for the erroneous repatriation. The company claimed that Kuwaiti authorities had labeled the remains as belonging to Alvarado, according to DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
Alvarado was found dead alongside two other foreign workers inside their employer’s vacation house in Kuwait. Initial findings from Kuwaiti authorities suggested they died from cold smoke inhalation, but the NBI is conducting an autopsy to determine if foul play was involved.