Senator Raffy Tulfo on Friday, January 3 renewed his call for the government to assert the rights of all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) against abusive employers and employment agencies.
Tulfo made the call following the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed the death of Dafnie Nacalaban, whose body was found already in a state of decomposition after she was reported missing for two months in Kuwait.
“This is not the first time an OFW has been killed in Kuwait. This incident is also a reminder to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and related government agencies to strictly implement strict periodic monitoring of OFWs, especially those based in the Middle East who often become victims of physical abuses from their employers,” Tulfo said in a statement.
“It is important to regularly monitor the condition of OFWs to ensure their security and protection. It is also important for our government to always assert and protect the rights of our so-called modern-day heroes, and ensure to hold the culprit accountable for this crime,” according to the head of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac had said that Kuwaiti authorities had arrested a “prime suspect” although it was unclear if that person was the employer of Dafnie Nacalaban.
According to the DMW, the 35-year old OFW had been in Kuwait for five years and was planning to fly back to the Philippines for Christmas to surprise her family. According to reports, Nacalaban had been missing since October. Her remains were found last Dec, 31, 2024.
According to Tulfo, Nacalaban’s partner Bonifacio Balucos Jr. had sought his office’s help to get justice.
Tulfo noted that Nacalaban was deployed to Kuwait in December 2019 and her contract with her last employer on record, Fawaz Satarn Muhawish Alduways, ended on Oct. 16, 2024.
The Migrant Workers Office in Kuwait, nevertheless, is still investigating the cause of her death, her relationship with Jarrah and if this is really her boss.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Dafnie, but rest assured that the government is doing its best to ensure the swift shipment of her remains back to the Philippines and give them all the necessary assistance,” he said.
Tulfo vowed to continue monitoring Nacalaban’s case to ensure justice would be served.