Marcos: Philippines setting up talks with Kuwait after Ranara slay

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. wants to know if there are "weaknesses" in the labor agreement between the Philippines and Kuwait following the brutal murder of an overseas Filipino worker.

He said a bilateral meeting is being scheduled with Kuwait to check the present agreement between the two countries.

"We are also scheduling bilateral meetings with Kuwait to look at the agreement that we have to see if there are weaknesses in the agreement that allow this to happen and to make sure that those weaknesses are remedied," Marcos said after visiting Jullebee Ranara's wake.

"We hope this will never happen again to anyone of our countrymen," he added.

Marcos also guaranteed to the bereaved family that the government would attend to all their needs, including scholarships for the children.

"I just wanted to offer my sympathies to the family. And to assure them that all the assistance that they might need for the family... ang pangako ko sa kanila kaya naman nagsakripisyo ang anak nila na magtrabaho sa abroad ay dahil may mga pangarap siya para sa kanyang pamilya," Marcos said.

"Sinabi ko, noong nawala na 'yung anak niyo, kami na lang ang tumupad ng pangarap... lahat ng assistance na pwedeng naming ibigay, ibibigay namin," he added.

The 35-year-old OFW whose body was found burned in the middle of a desert in Kuwait was reportedly raped and impregnated by the suspect, the 17-year-old son of her employer.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople said the DMW did not see the need to implement a deployment ban to Kuwait following Ranara's death.

"If you impose a deployment ban, you are sending a message that Kuwait is not suitable for workers. 'Galit-galit tayo. Hindi kami magpapadala sa inyo (We are at odds with each other. We will not deploy our workers)," she said at a separate [ress conference.

The DMW also lodged an order for the preventive suspension of the employer of Ranara. —NB, GMA Integrated News