An alleged cover-up was discovered regarding the death of an Overseas Filipino domestic worker (OFW) at the hands of her Kuwaiti employer, which led to the Philippine government declaring a total ban of workers in the Arab country.
According to the Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello, Jeanelyn Villaverde was allegedly a case of a cover-up as forensic doctors in Kuwait announced in her autopsy report that she succumbed due to physical injuries without mentioning that she was possibly raped.
“Kaya kami nagdeklara ng total deployment ban ay hindi lamang doon sa paggagahasa — kundi iyong cover-up din,” he said during a radio interview in DZMM.
The Labor Secretary also mentioned that her employer worked for the interior minister of Kuwait.
Sec. Bello also said that the ban would stay until justice is served to Villavende’s death and to gain the approval of Kuwait on a templated employment contract that would ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino workers.
The Philippine government was expected to get a copy of the suspect’s charge sheet.
Around 262,000 Filipinos are working in Kuwait, with 60 percent of them working as domestic workers.
